ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade
- Thread starter orang09
- Start date
Because it will create a larger impact. However if their protest was only discovered via Flickr then they've failed with making a point...
monkeyworld
Well-Known Member
Whispnade this spring have taken arrival of sloth bears ! a new encoulrse has been built and the young male from london has moved to whipsnade .... also new baby rhino and penquins
Spring newcomers set for Whipsnade debut - News - ZSL Whipsnade Zoo - ZSL
This link says that he has an enclosure near the new Rhino house, apart from the old gaur paddock, I can't quite think where they can build a "purpose built" enclosure for him...
... unless I'm not remembering that area of the zoo particularly well
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Sloth bears- its says 'they' not 'he.' Regarding the enclosure- there is(well, there was) a wide grassy area in front of the new rhino house- it could be there possibly?
Amazing to recall the hype when these bears 'returned' to the Mappin terraces at ZSL and now they've been 'retired' to Whipsnade because effectively, their exhibit failed.... maybe the Whipsnade enclosure will suit them better..
Amazing to recall the hype when these bears 'returned' to the Mappin terraces at ZSL and now they've been 'retired' to Whipsnade because effectively, their exhibit failed.... maybe the Whipsnade enclosure will suit them better..
To be fair to ZSL, (from what i've read) they have done everything they could to keep the bears happy. From plowing their exhibit full of enrichment to keep them entertained, to removing the muntjac to get them less stressed. I guess moving them to the fresh air of Whipsnade was the final step...
The exhibit did flop though, especially when the monkey numbers were reduced and the muntjac were removed. I doubt an australian exhibit will be any more successful though.
Yeah, it was evidently the bears who were the problem rather than the quality of the exhibit. I don't know why they hid away so much. They might do the same at Whipsnade or for some reason they may behave totally differently in new surroundings. I would expect to hear that they adopt similar habits though...
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
from what I know the protests are connected to the issues recently with the chimps, and the elephants (dying giving birth, juveniles dying). Keeping great apes, elephants, bears or large cats tends to make UK zoos more likely to be targets. It's bad enough for zoos keeping those species, but when some of them die controversially that pretty much seals it for a while. In a way, I think our zoos thrive on criticism, and many have become amazing places in the last 15 years or so.
I would not call PETA, PAWS or their ilk fair criticism. These phoney "animal love" people have as much scientific understanding of wildlife, their needs and zoo management as the back of my behind. What I would call fair criticism is those comments intended to build upon .. and not try to break it down (with the ulterior motive of shutting every zoo in the country).
That is exactly the reason why i dislike those groups so much!
A good example was a BBC article, that i posted on the forum, about Edinburgh's new chimp exhibit, a person from Advocates for Animals argued that he didn't want Edinburgh breeding the chimps because it would lead to more lifes in captivity!
In my opinion, that is a weak argument!!
Another thing that annoys me is animal-lovers who always make a link between zoos and jails!!
Sorry, rant over!
Anyway, those protests were linked to the Chimp escapes. Was it ever found out how they escaped?
I would agree with Jelle. Any news from zoo, good or bad, is obligatory criticised by animal right activists. Bad that zoo breeds bears. Bad that bears don't breed in a zoo. I sometimes think they actually want to catch some popularity of zoos.
Back to sloth bears - are they still the same individuals loaned from Poland? They had a long history of living in small cages. And must be very elderly now.
Back to sloth bears - are they still the same individuals loaned from Poland? They had a long history of living in small cages. And must be very elderly now.
Well, if I have assumed correctly, all of London's bears have been sent to Whipsnade (1.2). I didn't know they originated from Poland, but one of the bears is the daughter if I remember correctly, so if she stays in good health then she should be around for a bit longer than the other two.
However, I'm not too familiar with the bears at London, so someone else will have to confirm.
I saw this on the news over here the other day, a new baby white rhino born at Whipsnade. I think they said the 55th born at the park?
ZSL have only received the one pair of Sloth bears as far as I know- the previous housing would no doubt account for the stereotyped behaviour of the original female(?) I have a feeling one of the parents died and whats left is the mother and either one or two offspring born at London. Is it three or just two animals now?
dragon(ele)nerd
Well-Known Member
Yeah your right 55th birth april 29th.
In 2005, and I believe maybe to present the animals at ZSL (Sloth Bears) were a female and her two grown-up cubs 1.1
ZSL stated one of its motivations for re-acquiring this difficult species was to perhaps motivate other UK zoos to keep it, the impetus for a UK component of the EEP, but I believe the sub-species issue may have stalled this program, amongst other issues.
I am probably wrong but it may have been that the male was sent to the US to participate in the program there......bit of mystery species. the story of this species at ZSL is becoming an international affair
ZSL stated one of its motivations for re-acquiring this difficult species was to perhaps motivate other UK zoos to keep it, the impetus for a UK component of the EEP, but I believe the sub-species issue may have stalled this program, amongst other issues.
I am probably wrong but it may have been that the male was sent to the US to participate in the program there......bit of mystery species. the story of this species at ZSL is becoming an international affair
