I'm afraid I don't know the year that London got rid of their chimps but I'm sure someone on he will.
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I'm afraid I don't know the year that London got rid of their chimps but I'm sure someone on he will.
Dr. Loxodonta
Well-Known Member
I seem to recall that the Arabian Oryxes left around 2005–2006 to make way for the Hunting Dogs. The herd then definitely headed to Whipsnade, where they were housed in a paddock situated on the right-hand side upon entering Passage Through Asia. I only ever saw them if driving through, and I always found it rather curious to see them tucked away there, rather a comedown for what had once been a flagship species for ZSL. Whipsnade eventually sent their last two females to Marwell in late 2011. I am unsure after that.
Those are definitely the ones I saw then! I recall there only being a few inside a relatively small (but tall) enclosure. I’m gonna have to dig on YouTube to see if there’s any home videos of them right before the move.
Tbh I’m still surprised that orangutans left first given they’re either solitary or in very small, disjointed groups. You’d think they’d be the perfect ape for a city zoo, maybe they’re just a bit too shy/sensitive to house in such a busy environment?
Orangs left when the Zoo was in financial trouble and downsizing. There was a suggestion that Orangutans were less popular with the public than Gorillas or Chimpanzees
Oh, I had no idea. It’s ironic given they would have cost less to keep than the other two, but I get that they had to weigh up what would bring people in.
Orangutans are probably one of the few absent large mammals that I feel could one day return to London Zoo. There’s space to build an enclosure for them at some point in the future (with some creative restructuring), and they are tied pretty closely into ZSL’s conservation work.
Only current enclosure with the potential space to house them is the Cassons, but it would need some redevelopment. Their space outside and in would need to be covered with wire netting to keep them in their enclosure.
It could potentially be possible to house a male and female orang at either side, which would allow them to see each other without any premature contact (although a bridge system could be built overhead to unite each end when needed).
The tall size of the tower skylights inside could be used to its advantage by allowing them to climb up there, and depending on how much development the roof gets some more (off-show) space could be gained there too.
Sorry to speculate in this thread, just got into the idea. All theoretics of course
The last five orangs from London went to Paignton. Females Bulu, Senja, Chinta, with Bulu's son Nakal and I forget the fifth, unless perhaps there wasn't one. At Paignton Bulu bred -expectedly- with her son Nakal and produced an inbred daughter Gambira. Only Chinta from this group is still at the zoo now.
Indeed. London’s (very successful) breeding group of Orangs left as part of cost-cutting measures when the zoo was in financial crisis during the early 1990’s. There are many on these forums that will justifiably argue that ZSL made a mistake in not prioritising the Orangs over the chimps and gorillas.
Retaining the Chimps ultimately became a non-starter, and it has taken many years of setbacks (some self inflicted) and tragedies to get the current gorilla group to where it is now.
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Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, I’m sure I remember London Zoo having giant panda in the 1990s when I was a kid, can anyone remember where they were housed at London Zoo? did Zoo also ever have koala in recent times, like in the last 40 years? plus when did the last tree kangaroo leave London Zoo, as I’m sure I remember seeing one probably only seven or eight years ago?
London’s last Giant panda were Ming Ming and Bao Bao. They arrived during the zoo’s financial crisis of the early 1990’s in order to boost visitor numbers, which they briefly did. They were housed on the Sobell Pavilion where Gorilla Kingdom now stands. They never bred. ZSL has not held Giant panda since.
Again, I remember koala being housed in the old Tecton gorilla house in the 1990’s. I don’t think they ever bred but, of the 2 species mentioned, Im sure London is capable of producing a very good koala exhibit (anything’s better than that godawful monstrosity that the Mappins has become)
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
According to this early nineties map, the last pandas were kept near the gorillas. I have no idea what the enclosure was like and would be quite interested if anyone has pictures of it. I assume by this point the Sobell Pavilions were still standing and that the panda enclosure was a part of it?
London has definitely held koalas in the last forty years. Indeed, no zoo in Europe had ever held them prior to 1989, and the first to do so was London. They were kept in the Tecton Roundhouse.
Yes, they were kept in one of the Sobell's cages
Chia Chia the Giant Panda at London Zoo, 15 February 1987 - ZooChat
Chia Chia the Giant Panda at London Zoo, 15 February 1987 - ZooChat
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I think they demolished the Insect House before it had chance to be listed, i.e. got rid of it before anyone proposed a listing.
London was the first zoo in Europe to have koala but it wasn't in 1989; it was more than a century earlier in 1880 !
London Zoo's first koala was purchased on 28th April 1880 and it died overnight on 14th June 1881.
The other female to move from London to Paignton in March 1992 was 'Twiggy', formerly of Twycross Zoo, although her time was at Paignton was short lived, as she passed away in February 1993.
The other Bornean orangutans from London in 1992 left a little after the Paignton group, females 'Victoria' and 'Bella' were returned to their birth collections of Blackpool and Chester respectively in the April. The breeding male 'Saleh' passed away in May 1992, with the female 'Suka' and her daughter 'Janah' moving to Zoo de Beauval in June 1992. 'Janah' is still living, recently moving to Zoo du Bassin D'Arachon, having had a number of offspring at Beauval, one of whom now lives back in the UK at Wingham ('Belayan').
The Southern Aviary was the large aviary adjacent to the old Sealion Pool; this aviary was demolished in 2003.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the replies. Does anyone know, re the Tree Kangaroo. Thanks
Seriously though I need context on the “expectedly” part
Mistake!. I meant 'unexpectedly'... Nakal was only about six years old at the time and still with his mother and the others. Hence it caught them by surprise. He later moved to Europe.