Pairi Daiza Pairi Daiza News 2025

EliasNys said:
Very exciting news :D
Drills have been added on ZTL of Pairi Daiza. At first I thought it was a mistake, but the info mentions that they are behind the scenes and have 4 males. These will go to the Sanctuary, right? I can't think of any other place in the zoo where these would go. Likely somewhere else more info can be found on this, but I am currently on vacation, so I can't do any research rn.

This is an amazing and very unexpected addition to Pairi Daiza! They always had a quite strong primate collection and this is going to make it even more amazing!:p
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I'm afraid they've added this species to make them cohabit with the gorillas living near the hippos. I know they tried to get them to live with black crested mangabeys but it didn't work and the male mangabey was killed by one of the gorillas.
 
Sneeuwpanter said:
Would be an awesome cohabitation. Is this been tried at different zoos ?
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So far there are 3 different options for the drills to go to:
1. Sanctuary, has jungle theming and will include other African species like Pygmy hippos.
2. African savanna paddock that previously housed elephants. The exhibits would need a large revamp to jungle theme and wouldn't really fit there though.
3. Cohabitation with gorillas. If this would happen new climbing structures and safe spaces for the drills would be necessary. I also think that it might be a little too dangerous. If it has failed with mangabeys, why try with a larger and less arboreal species?
 
I visited Pairi Daiza yesterday for the first time since October 2019. My visit was carefully planned to allow me to see the golden snub-nosed monkeys on their outdoor island: at one stage I was getting worried as they were kept indoors in quarantine for longer than I was expecting, so I was relieved when they were allowed outside about a week ago. I was not disappointed, although the male and the larger female spent most of their time grooming together in a little temple structure, the younger female was more active and climbed in the trees, so I was able to get some photos of her. I also had some brief but close views as they moved along the glass corridors of their indoor quarters late in the day.
Obviously there have been many changes since my last visit, and of course I did not see everything. That took me 2 days in 2019, so I hope to see more today and tomorrow - I think I will need 3 days as I walk a little slower than I did in 2025 and I want to spend more time watching Rhinopithecus roxellana. But I did enjoy seeing the walruses and I enjoyed the coolness of the penguin exhibit on a very hot day. I only have a little tablet with me, so I can't do much with my photos here, but I think that some will appear in our Gallery in a week or so, after I return to the UK.
 
gentle lemur said:
I visited Pairi Daiza yesterday for the first time since October 2019. My visit was carefully planned to allow me to see the golden snub-nosed monkeys on their outdoor island: at one stage I was getting worried as they were kept indoors in quarantine for longer than I was expecting, so I was relieved when they were allowed outside about a week ago. I was not disappointed, although the male and the larger female spent most of their time grooming together in a little temple structure, the younger female was more active and climbed in the trees, so I was able to get some photos of her. I also had some brief but close views as they moved along the glass corridors of their indoor quarters late in the day.
Obviously there have been many changes since my last visit, and of course I did not see everything. That took me 2 days in 2019, so I hope to see more today and tomorrow - I think I will need 3 days as I walk a little slower than I did in 2025 and I want to spend more time watching Rhinopithecus roxellana. But I did enjoy seeing the walruses and I enjoyed the coolness of the penguin exhibit on a very hot day. I only have a little tablet with me, so I can't do much with my photos here, but I think that some will appear in our Gallery in a week or so, after I return to the UK.
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I am very jealous GL! I'm not sure I'll make it back to Paira Daiza again to see the Snub-nosed Monkeys though I'd very much like to. I went for the second time a couple of years ago, that time mainly for the Walrus but third time lucky? I am not sure. Various factors mean it would have to be next year now, if at all. :( Maybe your photos( which I'm sure will be excellent) will have to suffice! There are also some good photos of them first time(?) outside, including the male, on their FB page.
 
A funny thing happened to me yesterday: at about 6:30 pm, after a long day at Pairi Daiza, as I was heading back to the Entry/Exit complex to catch my train, I was stopped by 2 men talking French far too fast for me to understand. When I explained that I was English, they were very pleased and asked if I would would like to do an interview for France 24 TV. I said OK, provided I could speak English (I only speak schoolboy French, and my last French lesson was in 1966 o_O). So the interviewer asked me to talk about why I was visiting the zoo and whether I thought the animals were well housed and well cared for, my replies were generally positive, although I felt that some of the older exhibits were not so good, which is true of every zoo of course. I did point out that this was one of the reasons that PD is building the big new glasshouse. Finally I was asked for my name and age (Alan Hill, 74) and I posed for a couple of pictures, pretending to take photos of the pelicans on the lake.
Of course I have no idea whether they will use this recording, but if any ZooChatter happens to watch France 24, and sees me, I would be interested to know. But I would ask anyone who might review the piece to be kind ;)
 
@gentle lemur How random! Hope it turns into a nice segment.

Just saw the email from PD that they started doing bird/horse/dog shows again last week, did you by any chance catch one of them and can let us know what happens in them?
 
Joker22Hero said:
@gentle lemur How random! Hope it turns into a nice segment.

Just saw the email from PD that they started doing bird/horse/dog shows again last week, did you by any chance catch one of them and can let us know what happens in them?
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I didn't see a show, but about 11.30 several birds were flying around the circular entrance garden from the stand in front of the old abbey tower. Including kites, little egrets, a waldrapp, a scarlet ibis, a hooded vulture and a palm nut vulture. I may see more today.
 
gentle lemur said:
I didn't see a show, but about 11.30 several birds were flying around the circular entrance garden from the stand in front of the old abbey tower. Including kites, little egrets, a waldrapp, a scarlet ibis, a hooded vulture and a palm nut vulture. I may see more today.
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Thanks! According to the email, the show should be at 15:30 in the amphitheater
 
When I arrived at their island, around 10:15, they were out in the rain - apparently unbothered. But it took me so long to get my camera and long lens set up on my monopod, without getting anything wet, that by the time I was ready to take my first photo they were all huddled together in their little temple structure, and I couldn't blame them. I went off to find drier subjects, but I did look again before I left and they were in exactly the same place: although I suppose they may have moved around a bit in of the drier intervals (but there weren't many of them).
 
I went to Pairi Daiza yesterday and I've got quite a few updates to report:
Middle Kingdom:
  • The Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys were great to see as they enjoyed eating leaves in the highest tree of the enclosure (not really an update, but it was great seeing these magestic monkeys)
  • The Tea House is being worked on, so it is inaccesible.
  • The White-Naped Crane was living in the large aviary, which has seen some reworks with additions of grass, rocks and woodchips.
  • As @EliasNys pointed out that Tropicalia (Sloth greenhouse) was stocked with birds who will probably go to the Sanctuary, I'll try to name a few that I think are new: Blacksmith Lapwing (in the first Aracari aviary), Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Emerald Starling, White-crested Turaco, Black-necked Stilt, A Pigeon species I'm trying to identify (I will post a picture), Malay Crestless Fireback/Vietnam Pheasant? in aviary behind the Blue-bellied Roller.
  • I saw no sign of the male Père David's deer.
  • Only one Smooth-coated Otter was in the enclosure, the other one passed away.
Cambron-abbey:
  • There are Crested Partridges in the Vinaceous-breasted Amazon aviary, and also scattered around in Tropicalia
  • There are 4 Red-crested Turacos in the Roadrunner aviary (who is still there)
  • The sign from the Bear Cuscus was removed, I hope it's just that the sign needs to be changed.
  • The Golden Lion Tamarins now have access to the Saki enclosure.
  • There was a nest on top of the Eurasian Vultures aviary for Oriental Storks? Is this a former captive pair?
  • The Bald Eagles are offshow, Two African White-backed Vultures took their place for now.
Southern Cape:
  • I finally saw the Echidna who was hiding underneath a log. So the mystery has been solved.
  • There was what I think is a Hermann's Tortoise in the outdoor Koala enclosure.
  • Surprisingly there was a Laughing Kookaburra in the large aviary with Budgies and Parakeets.
Others:
  • The Waterslides for the park are already there at the Staff parking next to the entrance.
  • There is only the one Magellanic Steamerduck in the enclosure next to the Fur Seals, with no sign of any Penguins
  • A surprising sight were 4 wild Great Crested Grebes on the big ponds aside from all the other waterfowl living there.
  • The Birdshow has returned this week and I managed to fit it in to my day: It started off quite slow with just two horses running around and some Western Cattle Egret, but it started to build up to a climax with birds of all species flying above the heads of visitors à la Beauval. Species: 1: Laughing Kookaburra, Small species of owl 2: Western Cattle Egret 3: Crested Caracara, Striated Caracara 4: Secretary Bird 5: African White-backed Vulture, Marabou 6: Red Kite, and then everything: American Black Vulture, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Black-faced Ibis, White Pigeons, Abdim's Stork, Hooded Vulture, Great Green Macaw, Scarlet Ibis, More Egrets, Palm-nut Vulture, Southern Bald Ibis, Galah. I might have missed one or two but that should be it.
I've tried to keep it short, which you can't do for Pairi Daiza.
 
The teahouse is open again after a renovation.
Pairi Daiza NL

In sadder news, the last bear cuscus (that came earlier this year from Tierpark Berlin) has died on the 25th of may, according to ZTL.

And in the newsletter it was announced that the Japanese Macaques will inhabit both the Chinese garden exhibit and the Islands of the Rising Sun. The Smooth coated otter will go to a different zoo.
 
The bald eagle pair has apparently been transferred to vogelpark Niendorf, at least according to ZTL. A bit weird, since I thought they had a chick recently? Or has the chick died already :eek:?
 
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