Well said indeed. I am sure many other Uk zoochatters would echo that sentiment.
Highlights of the year2011 and plans for 2012
- Thread starter adrian1963
- Start date
Well said indeed. I am sure many other Uk zoochatters would echo that sentiment.
adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Agree with Pertinax about the chimpanzees lets hope it won't be long before dudley finish the orang-utan house either this would only be for the better.
EDIT - Anyone planning going to a zoo over the festive holiday may be going to Bristol myself.
EDIT - Anyone planning going to a zoo over the festive holiday may be going to Bristol myself.
Highlights for me was an amazing summers day at Living Coasts when everything was active. The Ruffs were displaying, the Oyster Catchers were claiming their territory, the Chough's were performing ariel acrobatics and the staff had got the water tanks so clear the underwater viewing was World Class. The fact that each time it got busy I just went to the cove next door for a sea swim just topped it off. Late on I had an impromptu BBQ on the balcony overlooking the Bay with a pint (listening to the Redshanks and Avocets duke it out) - Wow!
Seeing the Shoebills and Rainforest exhibit at Zurich was a treat!
Going back to Twycross for the first time in years (I lived just down the road and went every week until I was 18 & moved to Devon) was a 'roller-coaster' of emotions - I was truly happy they had begun to landscape, create small elevations to the site and remove the Big Cats whilst extending the Ele paddocks. BUT, I'm heartbroken to see the old walled Ape exhibits and the Green Mile so I share the same feelings as contributors before me!
The big high though was spending 2.5 hours with the Giant Otters at Chester - a child dream come true - what an absolute delight!
My 10km race time at the Marwell event was alright too!
Seeing the Shoebills and Rainforest exhibit at Zurich was a treat!
Going back to Twycross for the first time in years (I lived just down the road and went every week until I was 18 & moved to Devon) was a 'roller-coaster' of emotions - I was truly happy they had begun to landscape, create small elevations to the site and remove the Big Cats whilst extending the Ele paddocks. BUT, I'm heartbroken to see the old walled Ape exhibits and the Green Mile so I share the same feelings as contributors before me!
The big high though was spending 2.5 hours with the Giant Otters at Chester - a child dream come true - what an absolute delight!
My 10km race time at the Marwell event was alright too!
mazfc
Well-Known Member
The EAZA great ape fundraiser day at Chester in February. Loved it, I spent the whole day with a big grin on my face - so many highlighters, though Boris (he's a chimp for all you non-chimpers out there) blowing raspberries at us through the door was a great moment. But the whole day was magical.
For pure animal audacity it has to be kibriah the twycross matriarch orang lobbing a bed headed pigeon so very casually at her adoring public. I still can't stop laughing now!
For pure animal audacity it has to be kibriah the twycross matriarch orang lobbing a bed headed pigeon so very casually at her adoring public. I still can't stop laughing now!
My 2011 highlight is easy - my first visit to Wingz. Parrots galore to keep me happy. I hope the place manages to keep going. I am pleased I visited Flamingo Land on the 50th anniversary of the opening of Flamingo Park, but how I wish I had a time machine to return there in the 1960s armed with my cameras of today (first stop the Southern Elephant Seals).
A quick confession. Apes are undoubtedly my least favourite animals in zoos, even more so than Meerkats, and I give them just a cursory glance to say I've seen them.
A quick confession. Apes are undoubtedly my least favourite animals in zoos, even more so than Meerkats, and I give them just a cursory glance to say I've seen them.
mazfc
Well-Known Member
Although it's been a year of slightly fewer zoos (particularly on the UK front) than other recent years, it's been a very interesting one!
Two very good foreign trips this year - Lisbon/Madrid/Valencia/Barcelona and Berlin/Leipzig/Halle.
New mammal taxa for me for the year so far (not anticipating any new ones from December but you never know):
Virginia Opossum
Eastern Quoll
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby
Arabian Rock Hyrax
Nancy Ma's Douroucouli
Southern Talapoin
Swift Fruit Bat
Chinese Pangolin
East African Banded Mongoose
Spot-necked Otter
Barbary Red Deer
Spanish Red Deer
Marco Polo Sheep
Golden Takin
Red-flanked Duiker
Black Sea Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Caucasian (Persian) Squirrel
Southern Luzon Cloud Rat
Muenster Yellow-toothed Cavy
Black Agouti
Red Acouchi
Plus a few subspecies I probably have seen before but hadn't noted (S. African Caracal, C. African Chimp, Black-cheeked Red-tailed Guenon and possibly Iberian Wild Boar).
Don't think I've missed any. Not a bad little list! If pressed to a favourite I'd have to go for the pangolin (honourable mention to the quoll!).
Lots of good species I've not seen in some time - including Belugas, Grey Brockets and pretty much anything only kept at Berlin.
One or two highlights each from the other major groups:
Birds - Spanish Imperial Eagle and Rufous Night Heron are the ones that stick in the mind but I'm sure there are plenty of others
Reptiles - Womas and Boelen's Python.
Amphibians - Emperor Spotted Newts. And the Labyrinth Frog at Madrid.
Fishes - Devil Ray (and most of the rest of that display!) at Lisbon
Inverts - Ctenophores at Valencia/Barcelona (Valencia and Vasco da Gama both had great marine invert collections).
A few quick wild spots I've enjoyed this year:
Ocean Sunfish
The Grassholm Gannet Colony
Common Dolphins and Porpoises
Common Snipe
Iceland Black-tailed Godwit
Wood Sandpiper
Red-billed Chough
Red Kites
Iberian Green Woodpecker
WWT Martin Mere's Pink-footed Goose hordes!
I'm sure in an hour's time I'll think of loads of stuff I've missed off, but I've taken up quite enough room as it is - I could go into exhibits and experiences but I think I've waffled on far enough already!
As for 2012, plans are afoot for zoo trips in the Netherlands and in the Czech Republic (for Zoohistorica 2012 in Plzen). However, before either of these I've a possibility of a very exciting wildlife trip with the chance of a capital city zoo not yet represented on ZooChat. Watch this space!
Two very good foreign trips this year - Lisbon/Madrid/Valencia/Barcelona and Berlin/Leipzig/Halle.
New mammal taxa for me for the year so far (not anticipating any new ones from December but you never know):
Virginia Opossum
Eastern Quoll
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby
Arabian Rock Hyrax
Nancy Ma's Douroucouli
Southern Talapoin
Swift Fruit Bat
Chinese Pangolin
East African Banded Mongoose
Spot-necked Otter
Barbary Red Deer
Spanish Red Deer
Marco Polo Sheep
Golden Takin
Red-flanked Duiker
Black Sea Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Caucasian (Persian) Squirrel
Southern Luzon Cloud Rat
Muenster Yellow-toothed Cavy
Black Agouti
Red Acouchi
Plus a few subspecies I probably have seen before but hadn't noted (S. African Caracal, C. African Chimp, Black-cheeked Red-tailed Guenon and possibly Iberian Wild Boar).
Don't think I've missed any. Not a bad little list! If pressed to a favourite I'd have to go for the pangolin (honourable mention to the quoll!).
Lots of good species I've not seen in some time - including Belugas, Grey Brockets and pretty much anything only kept at Berlin.
One or two highlights each from the other major groups:
Birds - Spanish Imperial Eagle and Rufous Night Heron are the ones that stick in the mind but I'm sure there are plenty of others
Reptiles - Womas and Boelen's Python.
Amphibians - Emperor Spotted Newts. And the Labyrinth Frog at Madrid.
Fishes - Devil Ray (and most of the rest of that display!) at Lisbon
Inverts - Ctenophores at Valencia/Barcelona (Valencia and Vasco da Gama both had great marine invert collections).
A few quick wild spots I've enjoyed this year:
Ocean Sunfish
The Grassholm Gannet Colony
Common Dolphins and Porpoises
Common Snipe
Iceland Black-tailed Godwit
Wood Sandpiper
Red-billed Chough
Red Kites
Iberian Green Woodpecker
WWT Martin Mere's Pink-footed Goose hordes!
I'm sure in an hour's time I'll think of loads of stuff I've missed off, but I've taken up quite enough room as it is - I could go into exhibits and experiences but I think I've waffled on far enough already!
As for 2012, plans are afoot for zoo trips in the Netherlands and in the Czech Republic (for Zoohistorica 2012 in Plzen). However, before either of these I've a possibility of a very exciting wildlife trip with the chance of a capital city zoo not yet represented on ZooChat. Watch this space!
They're absolutely fantastic little creatures. I've only ever seen two - a Tiger Quoll at San Diego in 1998 (fast asleep on top of it's box) and an Eastern Quoll this year in Leipzig (very active - and they have a breeding group off-show). As far as I'm aware, Leipzig's are the only quolls outside Australia currently.
adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Are there any in the UK or have they ever been in the past.
Must admit I had never heard of them until Maguari shared them with us but just googled them and I would love to see one in a UK collection soon
Must admit I had never heard of them until Maguari shared them with us but just googled them and I would love to see one in a UK collection soon
According to Zootierliste London had Tiger and Eastern Quolls in the 19th Century. The Earl of Derby also had an Eastern Quoll that died in 1836 - Zootierliste's source for this is here and quite interesting:
Australian Mammal Society - Google Books
London Zoo had an Eastern quoll as long ago as 1829.
There was an Eastern quoll at London Zoo between 1877 and 1884 that is listed as the longevity record for the species in “Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; From the Living Collections of the World” (Richard Weigl, 2005).
I believe that Lord Stanely, Earl of Derby, also had a quoll in his private menagerie at Knowsley.
I’ve only ever seen the quoll in Leipzig this September and, many years ago, a quoll in both Rotterdam and Washington.
adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Do you think a UK collection will ever be able to obtain one again and would it be a good addition to any collection
Has Leipzig already bred them? I think I heard that on here. There is a native species park very near to where I live in Australia that acquired eastern and spotted-tailed quolls in this last five years and they have already bred both species quite a few times. Leipzig's animals could breed a lot in the short time that they live. I believe they received 3:3 from Zoos Victoria. Three breeding pairs that have up to 5 young in every litter will multiply very quickly and could spread to other zoos.
I still find it interesting that this species attracts so much attention when they aren't usually given a second glance in Australia because of their crepuscular habits. I've seen three different species of quoll.
I still find it interesting that this species attracts so much attention when they aren't usually given a second glance in Australia because of their crepuscular habits. I've seen three different species of quoll.
Leipzig's animals have already bred, and I believe 3.3 is correct for their initial import. It would be great to see them spread, but it's all down to Leipzig for the moment as it's hard to see many other places making such an import (Prague or Plzen might - between the two of them Brown Dorcopsis, Dusky Pademelon and New Guinea Short-beaked Echidna have all been brought in recently so they have form!).
As I mentioned in a much earlier post in this thread, seeing the quoll at Leipzig was one of my highlights of the year; I think that most ZooChatters would agree that quolls would "be a good addition to any collection". However, I doubt that they'll ever be a big attraction to the average zoo visitor.
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However, before either of these I've a possibility of a very exciting wildlife trip with the chance of a capital city zoo not yet represented on ZooChat. Watch this space!
Well Mr mysterious maguari, this little teaser is surely worth a thread on its own, sounds like Africa or South America to me
Well Mr mysterious maguari, this little teaser is surely worth a thread on its own, sounds like Africa or South America to me
No comment.
Hopefully will have some of it booked in the next few weeks and then will start looking forward to it in earnest - for the moment talking about it too much feels like tempting fate!
No comment.
Hopefully will have some of it booked in the next few weeks and then will start looking forward to it in earnest - for the moment talking about it too much feels like tempting fate!
Fair enough
Well i won't push you then, sounds all very exciting, hopefully it will all work out for you.