ZSL London Zoo London Zoo Notes.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Would the Ring-tail lemurs that are near Gorilla Kingdom, be the ones that live in the round house (but have moved out temporarily due to refurbishment) or are they new individuals?
 
Some great pics johnstoni, keep 'em coming!

Did you take any of the Casson pavillion (outer and inner)?
 
CZJimmy said:
Would the Ring-tail lemurs that are near Gorilla Kingdom, be the ones that live in the round house (but have moved out temporarily due to refurbishment) or are they new individuals?
Click to expand...

There were ring-tailed lemurs as per usual in the outside roundhouse enclosure, only the back wall is now dark green (wasn't it like lime green or something before?) so I'm guessing that's all it was and they are back from sharing with the dianas already, but the zoo hasn't yet taken the sign down. Why they would even need to timeshare though, what with 2 empty indoor and 1 empty outdoor primate enclosure in that complex.....
 
CZJimmy said:
Some great pics johnstoni, keep 'em coming!

Did you take any of the Casson pavillion (outer and inner)?
Click to expand...

I took 18 pictures (no memory card :() and they should all be up by now. The Casson Pavilion is pretty much the same but I did take a picture of the temporary small mammal/bird enclosures as they may well disappear now or be modified now most of the bird and small mammal facilities have been refurbished.
 
johnstoni said:
Bear mountain was very quiet, no sign of the langurs and one sleeping bear right at the back of the exhibit. With the birds and most of the monkeys gone, I can see why this exhibit doesn't really work when the bears aren't active.

The hunting dogs were active and their enclosure is much larger than it appears in photographs, in my opinion one of the best exhibits at the zoo now.
Click to expand...

Thanks for a very comprehensive report, saves me the need to make a visit in the near future.....

1. Langurs on Bear Mountain seem to be down to almost zero now(one or two only remaining?)

2. Hunting Dog enclosure- I also thought this was about the best thing in the zoo.
 
I forgot to say, a volunteer told me that in easter 2010 the Lion Terraces would be reopened, and that the zoo was to continue to exhibit both lions and tigers there. She also claimed that the female sumatran tiger was a problem animal at her previous zoo when I asked why they had separated her......
 
ISIS lists London as having 1.2 Langurs, so where are these housed?

I've only seen these animals at Antwerp, and if London built up a big group, then they would look great with the bears in their exhibit.
 
Pertinax said:
Thanks for a very comprehensive report, saves me the need to make a visit in the near future.....

1. Langurs on Bear Mountain seem to be down to almost zero now(one or two only remaining?)

2. Hunting Dog enclosure- I also thought this was about the best thing in the zoo.
Click to expand...

I didn't see a single grey langur, there was evidence of primates in the enclosure only by the food scattered on the shelves of the public indoor quarters by the aquarium. Maybe they'll send them to join the others at Coombe Martin when the bears leave?
 
Thanks. I'm heading down on the 8th June (going to see Foo Fighters at Wembley the night before!) so i'm hoping to take as many pictures as possible, beacuse on my last visit I brought my small memory card by accident(50 photos max). I'm going to try and take detailed exhibit shots of the more famous buildings (Casson, Mappins, Clore, Cotton etc) and anything that catches my eye ;)

Hopefully by the time of my visit, all 3 gorillas and the colobus monkeys will be getting along well on the replanted island!
 
Writhedhornbill said:
ISIS lists London as having 1.2 Langurs, so where are these housed?

I've only seen these animals at Antwerp, and if London built up a big group, then they would look great with the bears in their exhibit.
Click to expand...

They did have a large group when the exhibit opened, which bred, and added a lot of activity to the mappins. I don't know whether they haven't thrived in the enclosure or if its just a case of related stock and the breeding rate just grinding to a halt, they certainly haven't done any better at Bristol/ Coombe Martin....
]
 
Writhedhornbill said:
ISIS lists London as having 1.2 Langurs, so where are these housed?

I've only seen these animals at Antwerp, and if London built up a big group, then they would look great with the bears in their exhibit.
Click to expand...

There is a small dark window near the aquarium entrance which is the indoor accomodation for the langurs. I'd imagine they would be in here...
 
johnstoni said:
I forgot to say, a volunteer told me that in easter 2010 the Lion Terraces would be reopened, and that the zoo was to continue to exhibit both lions and tigers there. She also claimed that the female sumatran tiger was a problem animal at her previous zoo when I asked why they had separated her......
Click to expand...

Did she say when they would be closed off for construction?

I've heard that it's going to be the cat terraces or the children's farm up for development next...
 
Yeah that is the langurs' sleeping quarters, but there is an area behind this I think they can access where they can remain in the warm but not on display if they choose, which is what I think they were doing. When I was at the indoor window I only saw evidence of an earlier feed. I guess they like to sleep in the passage area leading up to the outdoor exhibit.

The volunteer said nothing more about the Lion Terraces, I am guessing she doesn't necessarily know how they'd do it. I really hope they move them all to another collection while they rebuild. Standing in the middle of the lion terraces you realise how vast that site is, there is so much unecessary public space, hopefully the moat and other pointless features will be replaced by some large, secluded, decent large cat enclosures. They'll have to be good, if London doesn't succeed with its tigers after all the expense then they'll have basically produced one handreared cub in the entire history of the current facility (correct me if I'm wrong?). Couldn't help but think how much the north canal bank would make a tiger habitat to rival howletts though......

It kind of looks as if there is some redevelopment of the children's farm already, with the bird climbing frame thing in the old australia house. The kangaroos and emus are gone already, so I'm sure they'll work on this area next. I always assumed ZSL might be reticent to alter this as it was paid for by a donor only about a decade ago, but then again the space could be used more creatively as we will probably now see.
 
Also been to London today, funnily enough alot of things you've mentioned I noticed, such as the pacing anteater and the okapi sucking the gate. Gotta agree with you on the hippo enclosure.

I saw one hanuman langur in their indoor area.

There were no Phillipine Crocs on show that I could see.

The Clore house now contains some fish, reptiles and amphibians in both diurnal and nocturnal quarters. A large portion of the exhibit is offshow due to it now being used as a quarantine area. I couldn't see into that back outdoor area very well, but a pond was in there, I think it probably holds surplus otters, or is used as a quarantine building. I couldn't see any tamandua in here anywhere.

The ringtailed lemur near the gorillas I presume was seperated from the main group for some reason. Also, I think there were four not three gorillas? I saw one inside, and 3 out, unless one moved from inside to out when I wasn't looking. If that was the case, all 3 were mixing. Nile Monitors have changed to Onate in here. The main GK enclosure looked much better, I actually quite like it now. Screens have been put up inside to give a litte privacy, and the outdoor looks more grown up. All gorillas were far more active.

I'm still confused with the cat terrace. Johnstoni says Francois Langurs are housed in the exhibit that once held clouded leopard, however when I saw clouded leopard there, I'm sure they were in the one currently inhabited by the serval. I guess, they've housed all different things at different points which makes it confusing. Put simply, there are 6 enclosures, currently 3 with cats, and 3 with primates.

I didn't see the African Wild Dogs, they were hiding.

Miffed off cos we skipped past the bird house. :-(

Any other questions, I'll try to answer. If not, I'm sure Johnstoni can.
 
the clouded leopard i last saw in the lower enclosure when it had a waterfall and a planted overhang. It may well have been moved to where the servals are currently, although that would have been a shame as such an arboreal species would not have much opportunity to climb (then again, thinking of thrigby hall, it would still be better).

Zaire was shut out in the morning, I guess they were mixed for a while in the afternoon.

The huge ornate monitor was amazing, a really good exhibit.

Did you see any ring-tailed lemurs in the sobell?
 
Moat on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Why couldn't they keep that foliage!!


Also, some guy has posted a photo with the captions as "A chainmail bridge extends from a fake tree on the gorilla kingdom to a bonobo enclosure on the mainland ".
Fake Tree on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Now I reckon he has just made the mistake of confusing bonobos and colobus, but he obviously had access to the construction site, so perhaps he knows the future of this exhibit...
 
johnstoni said:
They did have a large group when the exhibit opened, which bred, and added a lot of activity to the mappins. I don't know whether they haven't thrived in the enclosure or if its just a case of related stock and the breeding rate just grinding to a halt, they certainly haven't done any better at Bristol/ Coombe Martin....
]
Click to expand...

The Grey Langurs(they are the Sri Lankan race) at ZSl originally came from the groups at Bristol & Twycross(neither of which keep them anymore). at one stage the London group was up to about 10 animals when first added to the Bear exhibit but has since dwindled. As they're usually very prolific and hardy monkeys, I'm perplexed as to why the group didn't expand further, especially with all that space. Although the founders came from related groups, I doubt that inbreeding is the reason. Hanuman(grey) Langur are an excellent exhibit being so bold and lively.

The few at Combe Martin(if any in fact are now left) came from the same Bristol or Twycross stock, but from which of the three zoos(includes ZSL) involved with them I don't remember right now.
 
Last edited:
So exactly what's the plan for the Cat Terraces. Shut them for renovation winter 2009 and then re-open for the spring?
 
johnstoni said:
the clouded leopard i last saw in the lower enclosure when it had a waterfall and a planted overhang. It may well have been moved to where the servals are currently, although that would have been a shame as such an arboreal species would not have much opportunity to climb (then again, thinking of thrigby hall, it would still be better).

Zaire was shut out in the morning, I guess they were mixed for a while in the afternoon.

The huge ornate monitor was amazing, a really good exhibit.

Did you see any ring-tailed lemurs in the sobell?
Click to expand...

No, I didn't, but like you I noted the sign. It was Diana Monkeys in there.
Had the ground hornbill been removed from this area? I saw that the black-winged stilt had been removed from the aviary, I presume they are in the bird house now? I've uploaded my pics.
 
CZJimmy said:
Hopefully by the time of my visit, all 3 gorillas and the colobus monkeys will be getting along well on the replanted island!
Click to expand...

Just been looking at the photos of GorillaKingdom- it looks as if they have added a lot more upright treetrunks and also planted clumps of rush-like grasses.. I still would have preferred to see some live shade trees planted- even if they were electrified,- that would grow and provide a lot more cover. Unfortunately if the Colobus are to use the enclosure, as planned, they would probably gain access to such trees and destroy the foliage...

Despite the changes I don't think its any more attractive- possibly with so many dead upright trees,its actually less so!! I guess these extra dead trees are really principally for the Colobus to use.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top