Your highlights of the year 2009

Highlights of my year.....

Seeing armadillo and echidna for the first time,
Watching red panda running through their trees at Paignton
Sand tiger sharks at the National Marine aquarium
Baby skunks at cotswold wildlife park
Visiting longleat and Bristol for the first time in many years


2010? I have a feeling it will hold some pretty amazing wildlife expiriences for me.

Best regards to everyone over the next few weeks.
 
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Mine would have to be visiting Katavi weeks before she died. Knowing I was only a handful of people to have known her is awesome.
 
I agree with some of the other posts that having white-tailed gnu back in the UK is one of the highlights of 2009. (Sorry, I cannot get used to calling this species black wildebeest; they’ll always be white-tailed gnu to me.) Although I visit Marwell fairly regularly, I’ve never been to Newquay, but I’m tempted to go next year especially to see the white-tailed gnu.

However my personal zoological highlights were not from UK zoos. They were seeing three particular favourite species of mine that I’d not seen for many years:-

• Sumatran rhinoceros (at White Oak Conservation Centre)
• giant eland (at both White Oak Conservation Centre & Miami Metro Zoo)
• gerenuk (at both White Oak Conservation Centre & Miami Metro Zoo)

Another special treat was seeing a rare saki monkey Chiropotes utahickae at Mulhouse Zoo.
 
Tim May said:
I agree with some of the other posts that having white-tailed gnu back in the UK is one of the highlights of 2009. (Sorry, I cannot get used to calling this species black wildebeest; they’ll always be white-tailed gnu to me.) Although I visit Marwell fairly regularly, I’ve never been to Newquay, but I’m tempted to go next year especially to see the white-tailed gnu.

However my personal zoological highlights were not from UK zoos. They were seeing three particular favourite species of mine that I’d not seen for many years:-

• Sumatran rhinoceros (at White Oak Conservation Centre)
• giant eland (at both White Oak Conservation Centre & Miami Metro Zoo)
• gerenuk (at both White Oak Conservation Centre & Miami Metro Zoo)

Another special treat was seeing a rare saki monkey Chiropotes utahickae at Mulhouse Zoo.
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Hi Tim,
You got into White Oaks ...? That is off-limits!!! How come?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Hi Tim,
You got into White Oaks ...? That is off-limits!!! How come?
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In February myself and three other English zoo enthusiasts went on a zoo visiting holiday to Florida.

We ‘phoned White Oak Conservation Centre and asked if it would be possible to visit; we arranged a mutually convenient time and a member of staff VERY kindly spent the morning with us showing us around.
 
Tim May said:
Although I visit Marwell fairly regularly, I’ve never been to Newquay, but I’m tempted to go next year especially to see the white-tailed gnu.
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Newquay as you probably know is a pleasant little zoo with an interesting collection. However the new 'African Plains' area I found disappointing- it is a flat weedy field which was probably suburban wasteland before, and with a backdrop of Newquay on two or three sides.

I preferred the Phillipine deer/Warty Pig exhibit(the old 'African' enclosure)
 
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For me it definitely has to be the opening of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. So great to have a 'local' zoo after years of waiting - and the fact that they have some brilliant species there only adds to the appeal! I also saw my first Raccoon Dogs there.
 
Was just browsing and this thread made me think back on another great zoo year for me- sorry if it all sounds a bit arsey and international playboyish but...get this lot
Viper collection at St Louis mostly off show.
Underwater viewing of Black Jaguar fishing for Pacu at Jacksonville.
Holding young Kiwi at Zoo Berlin.
Giant Zambian Mole Rats at Peoria,
Kingdom of the Night at Omahas Henry Doorly.
Seeing Masoala for the first time at Zurich,even if it is a bit difficult to see some of the inhabitants.
Maroon-fronted Parrots at Loro Parque.
Alcid exhibit at Berne,also my 400th zoo.
Behind the scenes at Durrells reptile house.
Valencia Oceanarium [Bioparc Valencia is ever so slighty dissapointing].
Feeding young Sumatran Rhino at White Oaks.
Pococks Guenon at Mullhouse also finding out that Uta-hicks Saki is still alive despite dissapearing from ISIS.
AND....publishing my book on British zoos[www.izes.co.uk]
Thanks to all at ZooChat for your support on the above and for your phenomenal interest in zoos-heres to 2010 with a big raspberry to Will Travers and his expense account at Born Free!
 
I cannot help feeling more than a little envious of my much-travelled fellow Zoochatters .

My highlights are more modest . I managed to visit 26 UK collections during the year - best for many years . Of these 5 were new collections - Ilfracombe Aquarium ( nice little place and not a Sea Life Centre ) , Exmoor Zoo ( one for the Zoo enthusiast with friendly staff ) , Tropiquaria ( a very unusual setting ) , Cotswold Falconry ( unusual species particularly cara-caras ) , Heythrop . This last was one of my high-lights - much of my early encounters with exotic animals were made when the circus visited Swansea so I must admit to thoroughly enjoying Jim Clubb's big cat performance ( and so it appeared did the capacity audience ) .

Other highlights - close encounters in Cotswold's walk-through Madagascar exhibit , a return to Blackbrook with so many unusual species on view ( many not being labelled ), being impressed how Belfast have integrated and are caring for their four elderly elephants ,the lively big group of Western colobus at Blackpool , Living Coasts ( brilliant place ) .
 
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