Dudley Zoological Gardens Dudley Zoo

Maguari

Maguari

Never could get the hang of Thursdays.
15+ year member
Premium Member
Just a few notes from a visit over the weekend;

- the lynx enclosures have been completely rebuilt with a tunnelt o a little viewing dome in the middle of the enclosure; the three cats were very showy and sitting right up by the front glass most of the time.
- Toco Toucans new in the run of aviaries opposite the Barbary Sheep.
- the two small aviaries after the Snowy Owls but before the Boobooks (the two long narrow ones that always looked like a moderate breeze could bring them down) have been rebuilt to house singletons of Common Raven and European Eagle Owl.
- Dwarf Mongoose in Monkey Tails have been replaced by a second group of Meerkats; anyone know what happened to the Dwarf Mongooses?
- very pleased to see the two elderly Asian Black Bears out and about and pretty active all things considered.
- one of the highlights of the day; no fewer than three Barbary Sheep youngsters born in the last couple of months, bring this once-stagnating herd to 14 by my count. And what a cracking display they make.

Overall, the zoo was busy and the animals pretty showy considering the heat. I don't think I had a single mammal no-show which is not at all bad going. Some photos of the day in the gallery: Maguari Gallery - Photo Gallery
 
Thanks for the photos Maguari, great work with the lynx. :)
I've not been to Dudley but I get a feel for it from your pictures. Dudley looks better than I thought it was, I like their apparent policy on keeping primates, in larger open topped enclosures.
Got some good animals I didn't know they had too, like the Geoffroy's Cat.
 
I havent been in years, i wasnt impressed with the place if im honest. Bit it sees the place has improved a little over the years. What's happening with their masterplan now, has anythibg started on the orangutan house yet.
Maybe i should visit soon
 
We visited last month. No physical evidence of the master plan. But this year would mainly have been for detailing the design and obtaining official planning permissions. There is a lot of paperwork to be completed between outline concept and starting their first building. There have been so many false dawns at Dudley that I hope my optimism is not ill placed but I do have confidence that the current management will delivery, eventually.
 
I am impressed with the gibbon enclosure. I had envisaged they'd be in another grass hotwired pen, live trees, what a bonus. I really hope dudley carries on with these small changes. What lives where the oryx and gazelle once did?
 
Do Dudley Zoo still attempt in breeding their asiatic lions, or are the pair they have either too old/well represented?

How are the tigers getting along, any signs of breeding. i know them and London exchanged females last year or something?
 
There has been a lot of rumours floating around about these big plans but its good to see they are making changes for the good esp the new lynx enclosure. Does anyone know how many crested macaques they hold now? When they were in the present gibbon enclosure by the castle they seemed to thrive then they moved to the bear pit and seemed to drop in numbers slightly.
 
Bobby_21 said:
There has been a lot of rumours floating around about these big plans but its good to see they are making changes for the good esp the new lynx enclosure. Does anyone know how many crested macaques they hold now? When they were in the present gibbon enclosure by the castle they seemed to thrive then they moved to the bear pit and seemed to drop in numbers slightly.
Click to expand...
Only saw 1 when i visited a few weeks ago.
 
Its a pity because they were always quite active and i think they had 3 or 4 born their. Its a prime example of what can happen when a zoo tries to provide an enclosure that they believe is for the better of an animal and instead it has the opposite effect. I'm guessin when you went the chimpanzee group was still without a male??
 
My guess would be if the Sulawesi Macaques have declined, that its less to do with a change of enclosure, and more to do with group dynamics, lack of breeding females or infertility perhaps. Primate groups (in captivity) do sometimes seem to go through 'boom & bust' periods like this.

regarding the chimps, I can't understand the continued lack of a male- Twycross could lend them (preferably)a couple or they're not difficult to get from other sources too, so why so many years here without any new males?
 
could it be anything to do with age? Is there an age where Chimps are unable to breed? Even if it didn't result in any breeding i would have thought a male or even a couple may bring greater social stability. Without a male would the more dominant of the females take on the role of a leader? I'm more an interested observer rather than someone whose in the world of zoology and animal management so you'll have to forgive the stupid questions i may ask :o
 
Maguari just a quickie the dwarf mongoose have moved to the enclosure before
the Barbary Sheep on the same side there are 5 or 6 in the enclosure
I would like to thank you for your photographs as they are of some zoos and animals I could not get to see myself due to transport problems
 
adrian1963 said:
Maguari just a quickie the dwarf mongoose have moved to the enclosure before
the Barbary Sheep on the same side there are 5 or 6 in the enclosure
I would like to thank you for your photographs as they are of some zoos and animals I could not get to see myself due to transport problems
Click to expand...

No worries - glad you enjoy them! :)


To further update my original post - the Toco Toucan is now in the aviary opposite the sealions.
 
Bobby_21 said:
could it be anything to do with age? Is there an age where Chimps are unable to breed? Even if it didn't result in any breeding i would have thought a male or even a couple may bring greater social stability. Without a male would the more dominant of the females take on the role of a leader? I'm more an interested observer rather than someone whose in the world of zoology and animal management so you'll have to forgive the stupid questions i may ask :o
Click to expand...

no bobby its to do with health and safety, im suprised pepe didn't escape the enclosure isn't realy angry male chimp proof
 
wow, common Raven. I see them in the skies down the Cotswold,s but I've never had the opportunity to see one properly.
 
EvilKittie said:
no bobby its to do with health and safety, im suprised pepe didn't escape the enclosure isn't realy angry male chimp proof
Click to expand...

I don't know if they were ever let outside while Pepe was in the group. However, his behaviour in the group of ZSL females seemed completely changed from when he was a lively male in the old house. In this group he seemed dominated by the females and sat quietly in a corner out of the way most of the time.

I don't understand why he didn't breed with any of them- unless they were on contraceptives.
 
adrian their dwarf mongoose have passed on and a female+babies of meerkats and the babary sheep have atleast 10-15
 
I was just trying to say that the red and yellow mongoose now occupy the enclosure
as the meerkats have moved into the monkey tails building that was once the tropical house, also they should be having some flying rats in the old elephant house building very shortly as the construction of the enclosure looks to be very near complete.
Will be going up one day next week all being well will have some photo's of these if they are now in the enclosure.
If there are any photo's anyone would like me to take then please let me know.
 
adrian1963 said:
I was just trying to say that the red and yellow mongoose now occupy the enclosure
as the meerkats have moved into the monkey tails building that was once the tropical house, also they should be having some flying rats in the old elephant house building very shortly as the construction of the enclosure looks to be very near complete.
Will be going up one day next week all being well will have some photo's of these if they are now in the enclosure.
If there are any photo's anyone would like me to take then please let me know.
Click to expand...
Just a quick question is the red and yellow mongoose you mention 1 species or 2 because if its 1 i`m not aware of having seen this species before,and finally do you know the latin name for the flying rats as again this is species that i have never heard of?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top