ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2013

volvox said:
I don't think it's quite fair to say Kumbuka is "showing no interest in the females". He's very friendly towards them (well, apart from Zaire who keeps to herself) and I've seen him exchanging grooming with Mjukuu, but perhaps in a more brotherly way... still, early days!
Click to expand...

mmmm... the thing is, however they behave initially is usually how they will continue to behave longerterm. A strange 'normal' male would usually make his presence felt at the start with energetic display, chestbeating and generally putting the females in their place a bit. Once he's got their respect, he calms right down and things click into place. It doesn't sound as if that is happening here.

An alternative option is one of the females will encourage mating through initial bouts of play- this sometimes happens when a male doesn't have the 'dominance' factor in the first place.
 
Baby okapi and baby tapir both born in the past week or two. Both intermittently on show and I did see the okapi (girl) today! – gorgeous. Several blue grosbeaks now flying around the rainforest, though still brown as they are young and turn blue later (looking forward to that). The two new kangaroos look very fine, and huge in comparison with the wallabies (behind them on the Mappins). Can't think of any more news at the moment.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Excellent news on the okapi front! :)
Even better on the Malayan tapir!
Click to expand...

Agreed, doesn't get much better than this for London, all they need now is the tigers and gorillas to work out & it could be their best year since?! Certainly the early 90s
 
Brilliant news on the okapi birth . That's 3 born in the UK in less than a year - if only Marwell could now breed from their last female !
 
The Zoo - ITV

New series of The Zoo on ITV in July, they have just about finished filming.
 
going for my first trip to ZSL on 11th July won a comp run by 21st Century Tiger to have a tour of the new Tiger Territory. any tips on what not too miss?
 
It depends entirely on what category of animal you like – I would say make sure you catch the predatory bird display but not everyone is thrilled by birds. Obviously you like cats but they don't figure hugely at London (just lions, tigers and servals) ... reptiles are a strong point, and the penguin pool is second to none... but give us a clue what your favourite category is?
 
volvox said:
It depends entirely on what category of animal you like – I would say make sure you catch the predatory bird display but not everyone is thrilled by birds. Obviously you like cats but they don't figure hugely at London (just lions, tigers and servals) ... reptiles are a strong point, and the penguin pool is second to none... but give us a clue what your favourite category is?
Click to expand...

Cats are my fave, but I like all aspects of zoo's, love bird displays so will make sure I catch that. reptiles again float my boat, I am quite an all rounder :)
 
bluetoffeezoo said:
Cats are my fave, but I like all aspects of zoo's, love bird displays so will make sure I catch that. reptiles again float my boat, I am quite an all rounder :)
Click to expand...

ZSL has an excellent collection of reptiles: I recommend that you visit the Reptile House twice, near the start and end of your visit, so that you have most chance of seeing each species active. Be aware that there are also some reptiles in the Aquarium and in Bugs too. Don't miss the birds in the Blackburn Pavilion, several beautiful and unusual species.
Don't forget to encourage Kumbuka ;)

Alan
 
Gigit said:
You took the words out of my keyboard :)

Yes, please let us know how he's getting on! That applies to anyone else going there too :)
Click to expand...

I am becoming more and more sceptical by the day that the introduction will lead to a cohesive family unit. Particularly that the old female Zaire is spoiling things and .. if a silverback is introduced he should assert his authority bang right there and then ... It has not happened ... What is the keeper status' on this?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Particularly that the old female Zaire is spoiling things and .. if a silverback is introduced he should assert his authority bang right there and then ... It has not happened ... What is the keeper status' on this?
Click to expand...

Not this time she isn't.. she apparently likes him as much as the others do.

But the question of him asserting dominance remains unanswered, as does whether he has mated any of the females or not.
 
London Zoo...

Much may depend on whether Zaire is still reproductively active. N'pongo @ Jersey actively disliked Jambo, & never accepted his authority, but was quite happy to mate with him when the mood was on her, & bore him many children.
Excuse my ignorance, but was Zaire parent-reared?
 
FBBird said:
Much may depend on whether Zaire is still reproductively active. N'pongo @ Jersey actively disliked Jambo, & never accepted his authority, but was quite happy to mate with him when the mood was on her, & bore him many children.
Excuse my ignorance, but was Zaire parent-reared?
Click to expand...

Zaire was handraised, both Jersey females of the time having to have their first three offspring handreared, but she is/was not as humanised as 'Npongo', having been kept with other Jersey -raised Gorillas from a much earlier age.

I don't know if Zaire is still cycling, though ZSL seem to have written her off as being 'too old' to breed, though she is only a year older than her erstwhile companion Salome at Bristol. Both have a similar history of non-breeding for many years after their first births at London. Salome was eventually given fertility treatment but afaik she was still cycling/reproductively active when she went to Bristol, but had problems conceiving. Zaire seems to have taken longer to accept the recent changes of males than the other two females, certainly I believe that was so with 'Kesho' who may have been too boisterous for her, but this time I believe she is getting along fine with Kumbuka.

'Npongo' was a very interesting case in that she didn't like Jambo, yet would mate with him, as you say. They did mellow somewhat in their later years but still weren't kept in full contact in enclosed spaces i.e. in the indoor areas. One faulty introduction between them resulted in the accidental death of her six months old infant 'Kumi'.
 
ZSL....

N'Pongo of course was [wild-caught] hand-reared and very socialised to people. I know Nandi was as well,but she N'Pongo at an age when all N'Pongo had was people. I suggest there is a parallel here between gorillas & elephants, with some hand-reared individuals never developing apprpriate social skills.
 
FBBird said:
N'Pongo of course was [wild-caught] hand-reared and very socialised to people. I know Nandi was as well,but she N'Pongo at an age when all N'Pongo had was people.
Click to expand...

Nandi had bad experience with people before she came to Jersey also- she arrived with a Panga knife scar/cut on her head. So she was understandably suspicious of people and I don't think ever had the same humanised relationship with them as did N'pongo.

There are definately 'degrees' of desocialisation. A lot of handraised Gorillas do breed nowadays as most are exposed to their own species from an early age, which didn't used to happen in the old days.
 
Spent a few hours in London today. Didn't have time to see everything so concentrated mainly on seeing the newer exhibits. Penguin Beach and Tiger Territory both look really impressive. Huge improvement for both species, and the latter makes good use of the limited space on the site really. The Casson also looks really good now that it's been incorporated into something, and the new housing for the Camels is also very nice.

Highlights were seeing Gorilla Kingdom's outdoor space being used for the first time, and a surprisingly active Tamandua in the Clore. Not sure if it's old news or not, but I saw the zoo now houses Vicuna on the Cotton Terraces - always a nice addition. Kangaroos on the Mappins also making for something of a more exciting attraction than wallabies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top