ZSL Whipsnade Zoo whipsnade 2013

Also visited today for a couple of hours. Few things to add:

1. Giraffe were on view for the first time in ages that I have seen! Not sure when they were first back out but the house has been closed with them inside for a long time. All 5 were outside in the sunshine, with some giving good close-ups while eating browse right next to the path. I'll add a photo later :)

2. According to the Birds of the World demonstration, Hyacinth Macaws will be added to the show later in the year. Having 4 macaw species flying over will be fantastic!

3. Non-animal related but the play area is taking shape nicely! Hopefully when that's done we can look forward to an animal development, but we'll have to wait and see!
 
We bought the family annual pass last weekend and have already used it 3 times. Fascinating to see how many things can change in the space of just 7 days.

When we first went, last Saturday, there were 5 sealions involved in the show. My wife and kids went again on Monday and pointed out that only 4 took part. We figured one had the day off or was sick. However, we went again yesterday and there were still only 4. We asked one of the trainers what had happened and sadly "Sarah" died on Tuesday. No idea how/what caused death.

In the meantime, they zoo have welcomed a further 14 wild boar!!
5 were born on 12th and another 9 born on 19th. All were out and about with their mothers and looked pretty healthy.

It would appear that baby Ostrich's are also expected in the near future as their house contains a number of eggs. Not entirely sure how many will hatch successfully.
 
two questions I wanna put out there

a) four species of macaw in the bird show only ever remember three blue nd gold , scarlet and the hyacinth ?

b) regarding the sealion death did u mean salt the sealion as she was the oldest left from the old group ?
 
They have, as far as I can remember, military macaws too. Win I was there it was scarlet, blue and gold and (I think) military...

No don't think it was Salt. Don't think it was age related...
 
ok was hoping it wasn't any of young ones and thought it might have been the militarys as they were in it before but then they stopped flying them for some reason and just flew the previous mentioned three
 
Definitely wasn't Salt, she was still in action this past weekend.
Just looking at the names that Whipsnade have listed on their website, I'm thinking it was actually Kyra - Dom, Salt, Bailey and Lara were all present and performing.
 
Walkerboy said:
Definitely wasn't Salt, she was still in action this past weekend.
Just looking at the names that Whipsnade have listed on their website, I'm thinking it was actually Kyra - Dom, Salt, Bailey and Lara were all present and performing.
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According to facebook it was indeed kyra, sad news :(
 
A real shame to lose such a young animal. Was Kyra one of the two that came from Chester or the most recent one that came from Longleat i think?
 
It is a shame :( Very sad.

Few bits:

1. Lake is now home to 3 magpie geese. Not sure if they're new to the zoo or just new to the lake (maybe from the bird garden?).

2. New rhino house is now 2/3 covered in bark with just 1/3 rubber floor.

3. 2 baby camels now.
 
Had a fairly brief visit yesterday afternoon. The bank holiday sunshine brought in the visitors, the zoo was the busiest i've seen it in the last 6 years,since i became a regular visitor again, including last year's late opening evening. We didn't arrive until 230, but even then there must have been nearly 100 people in the pedestrian queue & around 20 cars at the entrance. Great day for the zoo, but it made finding somewhere to park difficult to begin with.
Just a couple of changes i noticed:

-i don't remember reading it here, but the Rockhopper penguins appear to have gone. Their signs have also been removed.

-Ajang, the young male indian rhino now has the old paddock and adjoining stall in the corner of the old house. A sensible move as this now allows Hugo access to the main paddock, though he was inside eating when i got there. Didn't see calf & mother, they must have been inside with the usual yard in the old house.
 
pipaluk said:
-i don't remember reading it here, but the Rockhopper penguins appear to have gone. Their signs have also been removed.
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If they have actually left as opposed to being offshow, I would be surprised if they haven't gone to London. As a breeding group, and with the lone male being PR gold at Regent's Park, it would mean that Penguin Beach would be more than just a very good humboldt exhibit once again.
 
Whipsnade have sent a female common hippo called Hula to Pairi Daiza in Belgium.
 
kiang said:
Whipsnade have sent a female common hippo called Hula to Pairi Daiza in Belgium.
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A pity. I'd have preferred them to have kept Hula and swapped Hoover for another, unrelated, bull.

The opportunity to build up a proper group of hippos, which admittedly will need a better and larger house, is one that ZSL really shouldn't pass up. Common Hippos are Whipsnade's star species, and have been for many years.
 
Pertinax said:
A pity I agree but they haven't got the room have they?
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At the moment no, but as the only 'proper' zoo to hold the species in the UK, they could make more of them. For me and many others i'm sure , they are a major attraction to Whipsnade.
 
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