Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo news 2012

Rupicola

Active Member
Bristol Zoo will recieve 1,1 Visayan tarictic hornbills(Penelopides panini panini) from Avifauna and Chester Zoo in the next weeks/month.
 
Bristol Zoo will recieve 1,1 Visayan tarictic hornbills(Penelopides panini panini) from Avifauna and Chester Zoo in the next weeks/month.

Brilliant news! I just love that.


Both Chester and Avifauna have achieved breeding success in 2011.
Here is hoping on the back of this some more unrelated birds can be added from the Philippines soonish under the loan agreement!
 
Agreed! Very good news indeed! The keeper that was cleaning the exhibit told me it. They have a pair on show with 3 offspring from end last year. The 3 offspring will be send to bristol and frankfurt!
 
It seems Bristol will be following in Chester’s footsteps with a display of animatronic dinosaurs. Publicity for the event comes in the form of an abandoned car in the middle of Broadmead shopping centre. The car has its back end smashed in with reptilian footprints leading up to it, the whole thing is cordoned off with ‘Bristol Zoo – investigation unit’ tape. Bristol Zoo statement regarding city centre mystery | Bristol Zoo
 
Visited today, i didn't see anything to do with the nonsense they've been posting on Facebook all week.

There is a new baby Tapir, that i haven't seen mentioned anywhere, i think that's Bristols 3rd in just over 2 years. The Okapi have been moved out of the Gorilla house and are now where the Cassowary were kept. I haven't a clue where the Cassowary are. I've finally got to see Bristols Sea Horses, they are in the underground part of the Seal and Penguin exhibit. They are also doing an interesting exhibit on the exit of the Aquarium of invasive fresh water species.

On a side note it's noisy kid season.
 
The Okapi have been moved out of the Gorilla house and are now where the Cassowary were kept.

Okapi are back where they were some years ago then. I'm wondering if this is preparatory to them refurbishing/extending that side of the Gorilla house for the Gorillas, as was previously indicated in their plans. Bongo are/were planned for the outside ex-Okapi paddock unless they have changed.
 
There is a new baby Tapir, that i haven't seen mentioned anywhere, i think that's Bristols 3rd in just over 2 years. The Okapi have been moved out of the Gorilla house and are now where the Cassowary were kept. I haven't a clue where the Cassowary are.

I was there the other day and saw the new baby Tapir too. I didn't see the Cassowary either. The ex-Okapi stalls and paddock in the old Elephant(now Gorilla) House remain empty. I think they will convert the indoor area for extra Gorilla housing later this year. The paddock may have Bongo in future if the plans are still the same.

The new garden/Aviary area in the S.W. corner of the Zoo is pleasant and the spanish-style grilles of the old Gorilla House have been re-used yet again to good effect. This area doesn't encompass any other new animal exhibits though.

There is a lot of publicity in the form of old photos etc as this is their anniversary year. The little cinema by the Lake showing a short film was a nostalgic reminder of the Zoo as it used to be. I saw no Dinosaurs but maybe not there yet.

One complaint- I always notice in the Nocturnal House that the 'blue' lighting of the exhiibits doesn't allow decent viewing- even after your eyes are accustomed to the dark. I could see/hear that other visitors couldn't see anything either, even with the active animals, because of this. For example one of the AyeAye's was moving about but you could hardly make it out in the darkness. They really need to do something about this.
 
One complaint- I always notice in the Nocturnal House that the 'blue' lighting of the exhiibits doesn't allow decent viewing- even after your eyes are accustomed to the dark. I could see/hear that other visitors couldn't see anything either, even with the active animals, because of this. For example one of the AyeAye's was moving about but you could hardly make it out in the darkness. They really need to do something about this.

Bizarrely, I have terrible night vision but the blue lighting works very well for me :p it definitely isn't amenable to taking photographs though.
 
Baby Tapir

I was there the other day and saw the new baby Tapir too. I didn't see the Cassowary either. The ex-Okapi stalls and paddock in the old Elephant(now Gorilla) House remain empty. I think they will convert the indoor area for extra Gorilla housing later this year. The paddock may have Bongo in future if the plans are still the same.

The new garden/Aviary area in the S.W. corner of the Zoo is pleasant and the spanish-style grilles of the old Gorilla House have been re-used yet again to good effect. This area doesn't encompass any other new animal exhibits though.

There is a lot of publicity in the form of old photos etc as this is their anniversary year. The little cinema by the Lake showing a short film was a nostalgic reminder of the Zoo as it used to be. I saw no Dinosaurs but maybe not there yet.

One complaint- I always notice in the Nocturnal House that the 'blue' lighting of the exhiibits doesn't allow decent viewing- even after your eyes are accustomed to the dark. I could see/hear that other visitors couldn't see anything either, even with the active animals, because of this. For example one of the AyeAye's was moving about but you could hardly make it out in the darkness. They really need to do something about this.

You say there is a new Tapir calf, is there a new male or has 'George' (last year's calf) left? They should have 1.2.1;

Females; Tip-Tap (Tamang x Denzil) Tamang (Paignton born)
Male; George (Tamang x Denzil)
Unknown; 0.0.1 (Tamang x Denzil?) or a new male and Tamang.
 
There were three adults together in the enclosure, plus the new baby.

Of course there may have been another offshow somewhere.
 
There were three adults together in the enclosure, plus the new baby.

Of course there may have been another offshow somewhere.

Thank you.

My guess is that Tamang was pregnant before Denzil left and has give birth now rather than a new male arrive and get her pregnant. Does anybody know how old the calf is? Perhaps they may move George and Tip-Tap on soon, space may become an issue soon.
 
Visited last Friday . Dinosaurs were being installed at various locations around the grounds . A 'spitting' specimen was close to the main entrance .

The 'news' board outside the Nocturnal house reported the arrival of a new female aye-aye from Jersey . Not certain how many they have now , one was active in the left-hand enclosure . The hand-reared sloth 'Sid' is also on show , but not with the breeding pair .

Okapis were not in the paddock , no viewing for the stalls . The young male Asiatic lion , with developing mane , was pacing at the back of the enclosure , probably needs to be moved on soon . Gorillas were all inside with only a few visible .

Saw hardly anybody on the very obtrusive high-wire structures .

What appeared to be a young crowned pigeon was in the Incubator House , a lot of condensation on window and no labels to identify with certainty .
 
As i've said before on another thread, i really don't see why a zoo the size of Bristol sees the need for dinosaurs, there is little enough space & few enough animals as it is!
I know they are aimed at kids, but surely if they want to see dinosaurs there are several places dedicated to them?!

I avoided the dinosaur area at Blackpool as it didnt interest me in the slightest or the 2 11 year olds that were with me.

If i wanted to see dinosaurs i'd go somewhere else, but i go to the zoo to see live animals,strange i know!

The kids have already been given the rope trail, whats next? Fairground rides like London?
 
The dinosaurs are not my thing either, but I believe they are only temporary? Does anyone know if the amazing animal shows are happening this summer? I know the show animals were moved over to hollywood estate while a new set of enclosures was built for them and I'm not sure if that's finished yet? I thought the dinosaurs could be to make up for the lack of animal shows by having dinosaur shows instead, but as I now live quite far away I haven't been to the zoo in ages to check on the shows.
 
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned in the forums yet (I definately remember seeing something of it in the gallery), but Bristol has opened a new exhibit based on invasive freshwater species in Britain that includes zebra mussels, killer shrimp and marsh frogs.

Video: New invasive species display opened at Bristol Zoo | This is Bristol
Its not been mentioned but photos have been posted of some of the exhibits and a sign explaining a bit about what was still to come.
http://www.zoochat.com/55/killer-shrimp-270655/
http://www.zoochat.com/55/zebra-mussel-270654/
http://www.zoochat.com/55/sign-new-exhibit-270418/
 
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