a few impressions.
as I haven't been along there for months!
I visited ZSL this week, here's a few comments;
1. The Australian area(ex Mappins) seems to be a real backwater. Many visitors probably don't even go there. Those that do stay a very short time only, as did I (yes, I saw the Brolgas).
2. Penguin Beach. Very good exhibit. Bigger even than I expected. But they could have some problems with leaf fall from the big overhanging Plane trees during the autumn. I couldn't find the single Rockhopper Penguin. Is it still there?
3. Clore/Rainforest World House. A number of enclosures/passageways of the old Clore as it used to be seem to be closed off from public view nowadays, and the whole house seems rather a shadow of its former self as far as species variety is concerned.. Downstairs in the Moonlight World, some of the signage on the exhibits was very difficult to read. Nothing for the Bat Cave?
4. Cotton Terraces. Increasingly I think its wrong seeing Zebras(and other grazing animals like Black Wildebeest!) kept under conditions where they cannot graze.
Red River Hogs seem to have disappeared from ZSL now.
Hunting Dogs -still one of their best Mammal exhibits IMO.
5. Cat Terraces. I estimate the moat of the Lion Enclosure occupies a bigger area than the land area for the Lions.
The monkeys here seem totally out of place. I'd rather see them moved out of the zoo except maybe the Francois Langurs, which should be given a higher profile exhibit.
6. Gorilla Kingdom. b/w Colobus are breeding well, now number about 9. Obviously plans for them to use Gorilla island have been dropped as the overhead passageway has been dismantled. The White-naped Mangabey group do make a good showing.
Gorillas- now seem to have free choice access(or is it weather dependant?) Consequently they chose to be indoors nearly all the time. Oldest female Zaire is still not fully integrated with male 'Kesho'.
Three(+ one seperate) inactive adults isn't a very interesting group to watch, but most people are just impressed by the size of the male anyway.
7. Aquarium-my first visit in here for many years. The arrangement of tanks by natural habitats is a big improvement I think. It is truly a vast collection of fish.
8. Blackburn Pavilion/Bird House. Diverse collection of birds. I think the walkthrough free-flight area in particular makes an interesting display. I hadn't realised the Socorro Dove of Mexico has been extinct in the wild since 1972 (it appears arguable if its a true species- or just a subspecies of the Mourning Dove). There are three Hummingbirds(Amazilla amazilla) where before there was just one.
9.Owls on North Bank- young Owls in nearly every aviary.
