What has that got to do with the fact they are stripping it empty? It's a damn shame they are doing that, this hall's magic was based on the mix of invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians displayed here. Allthough housing these animals geographicly makes sense, it lacks the magic the collection has now.
Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp News 2012
- Thread starter Jordan-Jaguar97
- Start date
@Johnny: Is it clear, that the species, that will be moved to the new amazon exhibit, will not be replaced at the riviera hall by other kind of animals?
(It would give - in theorie - space to more/other animals from SE-Asia, Australia and New Guinea as well as from North and West Africa and fishes from the Indian Ocean).
(It would give - in theorie - space to more/other animals from SE-Asia, Australia and New Guinea as well as from North and West Africa and fishes from the Indian Ocean).
I don't know about their plans, but I do know that the asian reptiles are going to move to the asia house, and the south american to amazonica. Normally, it would be the logical conclusion they would be replaced with other animals, but since this is also a sort of budget cut, I really don't know. There are more species going out of the collection at the moment, so you can probably do the math.
Mainly hoofstock, so nothing too dramatic. The biggest loss will be the indian rhino's, who will move to a more suited enclosure in dierenrijk. But, they will have black rhino's instead, and perhaps orang utans. The okapi's will be getting a new enclosure, same for the lions. So there will be a small decrease of the number of species, but there will also be some interesting species coming back. The biggest loss will be in the reptile collection I'm afraid. But I do not know what species will be leaving.
A) The orang utans.
B) Okapi indeed to near Riviera Hall.
C) Black rhinos on the former giraffe and hoof stock paddocks.
Species going and/or gone are bongo, addax and even the Mhorr gazelle ... ALAS!
No-one really knows what will become of the inner parts of the Riviera Hall. For sure the reptile and amphibian collections - if not relocated elsewhere in the zoo are to be shipped off to other zoos -. To me personally, the latter is a real damn shame ...
I agree with Kifaru Bwana about this. I visited Rotterdam Zoo for the first time in 1982 and the Riviera Hall was almost a zoo within itself. An interesting collection of reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates etc. I remember seeing a chambered nautilus and my first kowari there. The birds were particularly impressive, including two species of bird-of-paradise, a long-wattled umbrella bird, a cock-of-the-rock and a rock-fowl. It took a long time to go round the Riviera Hall and the fact that there were many animals to see outside made my visit to Rotterdam very intereesting.
It's absolutely not sure the mhorr-gazelles will leave the zoo, just rumours. It would be a shame though if it would happen. The addax and bongo's are not much of a problem. They have more hoofstoch that can be moved away, without anyone missing them, and the zoo can create more living space for more interesting animals this way.
They have had a big plan for the riviera hall, but that's a 40-million euro plan, money that the zoo doesn't have. I have heard rumours about an australia theme, but if this will happen.....
They have had a big plan for the riviera hall, but that's a 40-million euro plan, money that the zoo doesn't have. I have heard rumours about an australia theme, but if this will happen.....
Anyone's personal proclivaties aside, I do think "simply doing away" with bongo and addax is a big issue. The Mhorr gazelles going would be a total disaster.
Zoos are meant to play a role in saving species and when the looks are that we might be succeeding there does not mean we have succeeded. As an example: 10-15 years of sending back oryx and addax to North Africa by zoos, we have come some way. However, we have yet to see a self-sustaining population in the true wilds of the sense. Same goes for bongos. And not to mention a few other hoofstock amongst which come Mhorr, dorcas, slender-horned and Cuvier's gazelle all deserving of full-on ex situ conservation breeding (even though for some it is happening on some scale). We cannot be complacent.
I have visited my beloved Blijdorp today and feel that the Riviera Hall is in a real real sorry state. The place looks noticeably in decline with some exhibits empty (allthough with tell tale signs proclaiming this and that ..). Several major draws of the reptile, amphibian and insect collection in terms of both rarity and uniqueness in Europe have gone from the premises (either gone for good or behind the scenes). It is 15-20 years of diligent curatorial work that is being tokenised. The bird aviaries is even in a worse state.
Outside, on the Old Entrance side, the new wallaby exhibits look a bit out of place with nothing around it done in an Antipodes' theming (one species is even kept with demoiselle cranes ...). The alpine rock garden .. allthough nicely done ... has nothing of note backing it up. There are more examples like this. On the other side of the track the lack of funds to carry out major parts of the masterplan on the Oceanium side (South American rainforest full up, further add-ons to the polar area) ... give it an haphazard atmosphere.
However, I do like the new Asian Jungle Trekking ... that looks to be nicely done. But most of the rumoured reptile and bird add-on exhibits have yet to come up.
In short, I was a bit done in ...
Do you know why they are emptying the Riviera Hall even though there is no money for renovation? Is it in such bad condition that is has to be closed? Another question that is bugging me is what happens to the many sucessful breeding pairs of tucans. Does the zoo still has them? If Blijdorp would stop its efforts to breed them, it would e a disaster for this species in Europe. I hope not!!
What is the new Asian Jungle trekking?
Thanks!
What is the new Asian Jungle trekking?
Thanks!
As far as I know, the Rivierahal costs a fortune to heat which is why they are reducing it's costs by removing the necessity to heat it.
To my knowledge, they aren't that specially succesfull with tukans except for the toco tukans. I believe only one of their 4/5 breeding pairs of Toco Tukans was in the rivierahal in the first place (many of them are off-exhibit afaik).
I believe most Toco Tucans are in the off-show building between the owls and the leopards.
That's the main reason indeed. The city council of rotterdam is forcing the zoo to cut the costs, but it's still a shame they are doing it like this. The rivierahall had something about it, all the reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians in one building. They should have thrown out ten more species of hoofstock, and preserved the rivierahall like it was.
Or maybe Johnny they should close this zoo in the North of the Netherlands and spend all the money they are planning on the new zoo instead on Blijdorp
Or maybe Johnny they should close this zoo in the North of the Netherlands and spend all the money they are planning on the new zoo instead on Blijdorp
Are you serieusly suggesting that a city with a tenth of the population of rotterdam should do that what rotterdam can't do itself?
And if they close this zoo down, where does blijdorp have to steal it's ideas instead? So, very bad suggestion
Sorry, I'm a bit techo-crap, otherwise I'd put a link in here.
Has anyone seen the footage of the Polar Bear smashing the rock against the glass in the large underwater viewing pool? Astounding footage, I wouldn't have reacted as calmly as the two people in the footage if it'd happened when I was there a couple of months ago.
Has anyone seen the footage of the Polar Bear smashing the rock against the glass in the large underwater viewing pool? Astounding footage, I wouldn't have reacted as calmly as the two people in the footage if it'd happened when I was there a couple of months ago.
Made out to be an awful lot more serious than it was IMO... Video at the bottom of this article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-visitors-watch-horror.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Still would've scared the brown out of me though.
A few notes from my last visit. The zoo as always was amazing! I was particularly impressed with the new African area! The bird aviaries were full of interesting species a large number of avocets had young of various ages and I was fascinated watching the male ruff displaying only feet infront of me. The bee eaters in the next aviary catching live bees was also a nice touch!
The crocodile house was very impressive! I must have spent 30 minutes watching the single rufous and black giant elephant shrew, a great species!
Then to see klipspringer mixed with hyrax was great!
There was quite a bit if construction work taken place. The steppe exhibit was being developed, I'm guessing it us to form two separate enclosures for the camels and onagers? Both these species where kept beside the riveria hall!
The Asian walk through aviary was beside the bats was also being developed.
Inside the smaller Asian house with the lion tailed macaques and prince alfreds deer they are developing a large exhibit? Is this for Komodo? There were no sign if the lovely group if rusty spotted cats?
The old takin& macaque and white-lipped deer enclosures seem to be off show now!
European otter are now in the old outside Chinese alligator enclosure!
I enjoyed the walk through wallaby enclosure with such a large group if swamp wallaby! The river sand wallabys were a treat too!
Have the Pygmy hippo left the collection?
The birds aviaries and species in the riviera hall also seem to have decreased significantly!
The rest of the zoo was great!
The guinea pig enclosure showing domestic and wild cavy is also a nice touch in the south American area!
Does anyone know why the artic fox enclosure is now netted over?
It is a pity that the sea otters had to leave also they certainly were a great exhibit, saying this the oceanariums is still extremely impressive, the rock squirrels, kit fox and hutia being my favourites!
It's been a few years from my last visit so I apologise if sone of this is old news!
What are the future plans for the riviera hall!? And apart from developments for black rhino and a new south American tropical house is anything else planned?
The crocodile house was very impressive! I must have spent 30 minutes watching the single rufous and black giant elephant shrew, a great species!
Then to see klipspringer mixed with hyrax was great! There was quite a bit if construction work taken place. The steppe exhibit was being developed, I'm guessing it us to form two separate enclosures for the camels and onagers? Both these species where kept beside the riveria hall!
The Asian walk through aviary was beside the bats was also being developed.
Inside the smaller Asian house with the lion tailed macaques and prince alfreds deer they are developing a large exhibit? Is this for Komodo? There were no sign if the lovely group if rusty spotted cats?
The old takin& macaque and white-lipped deer enclosures seem to be off show now!
European otter are now in the old outside Chinese alligator enclosure!
I enjoyed the walk through wallaby enclosure with such a large group if swamp wallaby! The river sand wallabys were a treat too!
Have the Pygmy hippo left the collection?
The birds aviaries and species in the riviera hall also seem to have decreased significantly!
The rest of the zoo was great!
The guinea pig enclosure showing domestic and wild cavy is also a nice touch in the south American area!
Does anyone know why the artic fox enclosure is now netted over?
It is a pity that the sea otters had to leave also they certainly were a great exhibit, saying this the oceanariums is still extremely impressive, the rock squirrels, kit fox and hutia being my favourites!
It's been a few years from my last visit so I apologise if sone of this is old news!
What are the future plans for the riviera hall!? And apart from developments for black rhino and a new south American tropical house is anything else planned?