Idea taken from the highlights of 2013 thread, let's all have a look forward to 2014. What are peoples plans for the year, species you plan to see, collections you plan to visit, trips you plan to do etc.
Looking forward to 2014
- Thread starter Javan Rhino
- Start date
Well I'm looking forward to getting my driver's license and finally being able to get more zoos done on my time. In terms of trips I'm thinking about a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo over the summer and hope to see species like Red-Shanked Douc, Feathertail Gilder, Secretary Bird, and Mhorr Gazelle, among others, there. For other species I'm hoping to finally get Amur Leopard under my belt. I also hope to at least double my number of zoo visits in 2014.
~Thylo
~Thylo
I'm planning a return trip to Uganda to see Shoebills. This will probably include a visit to the Ugandan Wildlife Education Centre, and the Ugandan Reptiles Village.
If I'm travelling alone I'll then continue on to Tanzania.
Hix
If I'm travelling alone I'll then continue on to Tanzania.
Hix
2014 Zoo Year Resolutions:
• See a binturong
• Explore more of the rest of the OH zoos: Akron, Cincinnati, Toledo
• Go to the Bronx Zoo
• Go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and do the safari ride
• Visit a new polar bear
• Attempt to go to the Smithsonian Autumn Conservation Festival
• See a baby panda
• See a tamandua and/or tapir
• Try to take pictures of new birds and/or chicks.
• See a binturong
• Explore more of the rest of the OH zoos: Akron, Cincinnati, Toledo
• Go to the Bronx Zoo
• Go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and do the safari ride
• Visit a new polar bear
• Attempt to go to the Smithsonian Autumn Conservation Festival
• See a baby panda
• See a tamandua and/or tapir
• Try to take pictures of new birds and/or chicks.
jusko88
Well-Known Member
As of right now the only zoo trip i have planned for 2014 is at the end of january to the Dallas/Ft Worth area. I will be visiting Fossil Rim,Dallas World Aquarium,Ft Worth Zoo & will be going to Capital of Texas Zoo in Austin,tx.
I might have the opportunity to visit a friend over in Singapore. If i go over i will be visiting River Safari,Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari & Singapore Zoo.
I might have the opportunity to visit a friend over in Singapore. If i go over i will be visiting River Safari,Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari & Singapore Zoo.
Sumatran rhino mating?
For 2014 I would like to see them get on and attempt mating between Harapan & Suci, the two sibling Sumatran rhinos at Cincinatti. With no other male being presently available, I do not think any further delay is justified- it could affect Suci's ability to breed if she is left any longer without a pregnancy as she is already fully mature now and would probably have had a calf already under more natural conditions..
Several months ago they stated this was the intention but also said they were holding off for a couple of months more before making the decision. There seems to have been no news forthcoming since.
For 2014 I would like to see them get on and attempt mating between Harapan & Suci, the two sibling Sumatran rhinos at Cincinatti. With no other male being presently available, I do not think any further delay is justified- it could affect Suci's ability to breed if she is left any longer without a pregnancy as she is already fully mature now and would probably have had a calf already under more natural conditions..
Several months ago they stated this was the intention but also said they were holding off for a couple of months more before making the decision. There seems to have been no news forthcoming since.
Honestly though, that doesn't sound like information the zoo or 'a zoo' would release in this situation. They were completely secretive about Harapan's return (I wouldn't have found out if I had not been a volunteer) so I can't see them being open about this decision.
We'll probably learn about it either once Suci is pregnant or already given birth. Moebelle, I don't know how often you go to the zoo now that school is in session, but when you or someone else goes, take note of whether the two rhinos are together in the same enclosure or if Suci is off for an extended period of time.
~Thylo
Well, they made it public enough about their intention to do this as a 'last resort'. It was made big news in the press. My guess is if they were secretive about Harapan's return, it was for political reasons or because it would be obvious why he was returned and they didn't want to have their own timed announcement about this news, pre-guessed.
However actually following through with it, if they are still going to do so, is perhaps likely to be made less public as (attempted) matings aren't news until there is a result. In fact unless, as ThyacineAlive says, there is a pregnancy or birth perhaps. I believe Suci may have been tried with her father 'Ipuh' too, as Teri Roth implied that in one of the interviews, but it was never widely publicised, presumably as nothing happened.
But if they are being put together at times, presumably they can't very well hide that fact all the time as it would have to be done in the largest outdoor area available -unless its done out of visiting hours or the area is closed off. So observers might be able to deduce if anything is happening with them, or whether they have taken the second option they outlined- which was to delay on the basis that an unrelated male(Kertam in Borneo) will be made available within the next year. I wonder which it is?
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There's a much larger, forested "off-show" yard neighboring Harapan's. That said, it's very easy to see if anything is in there or not. Whether or not Kertam may or may not be available within the next year, the zoo needs to breed Suci- now. If Kertam becomes available after Suci has a calf, then fine, they can always breed them at another date, but both a calf and a breeding female are needed.
~Thylo
That is my feeling too
Their reasoning is that if they go ahead and get her pregnant by Harapan, and Kertam then becomes available, it would be a longer time before she could be mated to an unrelated male. But to my thinking also, a pregnancy now is more important than that hypothetical scenario, and who's to say how long it would be before they know if Kertam(or his semen?) will be allowed to go to the US for sure?This is arguably the most crucial animal pairing in any zoo worldwide at present- I don't think they should hesitate longer and I hope they aren't doing so.
2014 plans as they stand:
UK zooing - mostly just the regulars, barring a jaunt to Scotland in the spring for Edinburgh and Highland. Otherwise, looking forward mostly to Polar Bears in Doncaster!
European zooing - being planned are a Berlin weekend early in the year, a separate long weekend to do Erfurt, Leipzig and probably Magdeburg in the early summer and Zoohistorica in Cologne in September, which will likely be combined with a few days in Belgium as well as some of the other German zoos in the region. At least that's the plan currently!
Wildlifing - the only 2014 trip I currently have actually booked is a mammal- and bird-watching trip to Ethiopia in October (a birthday present from my family), which should prove very interesting! Before that, however, I have the chance of another interesting trip - an invitation to join my parents on a visit to where my sister has been living in Costa Rica. I hear they have a few animals there, too... (and yes, that does make me a jammy so-and-so!).
Summary: should be an exciting year!
Always fascinates me how some things so easy to see for one zoo visitor can be such a pain for others! Tapirs and Amur Leopards in particular are difficult to miss around here if you're doing multiple zoos - and then there was me in the States getting all excited over things I'm sure are nothing special for locals!
How far will you guys need to travel for these species?
UK zooing - mostly just the regulars, barring a jaunt to Scotland in the spring for Edinburgh and Highland. Otherwise, looking forward mostly to Polar Bears in Doncaster!
European zooing - being planned are a Berlin weekend early in the year, a separate long weekend to do Erfurt, Leipzig and probably Magdeburg in the early summer and Zoohistorica in Cologne in September, which will likely be combined with a few days in Belgium as well as some of the other German zoos in the region. At least that's the plan currently!
Wildlifing - the only 2014 trip I currently have actually booked is a mammal- and bird-watching trip to Ethiopia in October (a birthday present from my family), which should prove very interesting! Before that, however, I have the chance of another interesting trip - an invitation to join my parents on a visit to where my sister has been living in Costa Rica. I hear they have a few animals there, too... (and yes, that does make me a jammy so-and-so!).
Summary: should be an exciting year!
Always fascinates me how some things so easy to see for one zoo visitor can be such a pain for others! Tapirs and Amur Leopards in particular are difficult to miss around here if you're doing multiple zoos - and then there was me in the States getting all excited over things I'm sure are nothing special for locals!
How far will you guys need to travel for these species?
My not having seen an Amur Leopard is simply a result of never visiting a zoo when they were there, not missing them. But not far at all. Amur Leopards seem to be becoming more common up here. A 45 minute or so drive down to *Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo or a trip down to the Staten Island Zoo (both of which I'd like to do this year) could accomplish this. I could also always take a trip north to Mass. and see them at one of the Zoo New Englands (I forget whether it's Stone or Franklin Park that keeps the species).
*Beardsley acquired the species after my last visit.
~Thylo
Considering I started this thread, perhaps I should say what I'm looking forward to and hoping to achieve this year.
Quick city break sometime in the first quarter, though not decided on where yet or even if this will happen, but I'm ready for a bit of continental zooing. Ideas that have been floating around with me currently are Berlin, Paris and Prague.
We have an idea for a big trip to happen sometime in the not-too-distant future. Again, don't want to say just yet as nothing is booked and although we would like to do this trip in 2014 it may end up being a year or two away depending on finance and confidence.
I would like to see my 600th mammal taxa [at the moment on somewhere near 450]. Would also like to visit my 100th collection this year, currently being on 87 or 88 [can't recall to hand]
Finally, I'm hoping that if finances allow we will be attending ZooHistorica at Koln in September.
That's all for now, if I can cross off just one of these ambitions for the year I will be happy.
Quick city break sometime in the first quarter, though not decided on where yet or even if this will happen, but I'm ready for a bit of continental zooing. Ideas that have been floating around with me currently are Berlin, Paris and Prague.
We have an idea for a big trip to happen sometime in the not-too-distant future. Again, don't want to say just yet as nothing is booked and although we would like to do this trip in 2014 it may end up being a year or two away depending on finance and confidence.
I would like to see my 600th mammal taxa [at the moment on somewhere near 450]. Would also like to visit my 100th collection this year, currently being on 87 or 88 [can't recall to hand]
Finally, I'm hoping that if finances allow we will be attending ZooHistorica at Koln in September.
That's all for now, if I can cross off just one of these ambitions for the year I will be happy.
My only concrete plan for the year is Zoohistorica at Koln, which I'm hoping to stick on at the end of a three day jaunt in the Netherlands. After some recent home problems the first part of the trip may not be happening but Germany is still on the cards.
Closer to home I'm going to be doing the local collections (Dudley, WMSP, Sea Life, BNC) and the summer holiday should be Cornwall or Devon, hoping to get a return visit to Newquay and a first visit to Exmoor at the very least. I'm quite looking forward to the polar bears arriving in England and I will try and make it to Doncaster at some point. It's been years since I last saw a polar bear, I'm thinking the last time I saw one I must have been between four and seven.
Closer to home I'm going to be doing the local collections (Dudley, WMSP, Sea Life, BNC) and the summer holiday should be Cornwall or Devon, hoping to get a return visit to Newquay and a first visit to Exmoor at the very least. I'm quite looking forward to the polar bears arriving in England and I will try and make it to Doncaster at some point. It's been years since I last saw a polar bear, I'm thinking the last time I saw one I must have been between four and seven.
zooboy28
Well-Known Member
I have a lot of hope for 2014, with my major aim to make my first trip to America, and visit a few big zoos there, as well as see a bit of the wildlife.
I'm also planning trips to Darwin and Alice Springs, Sydney, Canberra, Queensland, and a couple of trips back home to NZ. I also want to make some trips into regional Victoria to visit a few of the zoos here I haven't visited yet.
Wildlife-wise, I'd like to get 250 birds this year, and a few mammals. There are a few specific species I'm after - particularly emu and platypus.
Other than that, just visiting my local zoos lots!
I'm also planning trips to Darwin and Alice Springs, Sydney, Canberra, Queensland, and a couple of trips back home to NZ. I also want to make some trips into regional Victoria to visit a few of the zoos here I haven't visited yet.
Wildlife-wise, I'd like to get 250 birds this year, and a few mammals. There are a few specific species I'm after - particularly emu and platypus.
Other than that, just visiting my local zoos lots!
nanoboy
Well-Known Member
I have visited most of the zoos in Victoria, and since (for personal reasons) we can't travel as a family for more than a day trip, I don't think I'll be visiting any new Victorian zoos in 2014. If I get sent out-of-state or overseas for work purposes, I might get to add a few zoos - otherwise, I'll be visiting Werribee, Melbourne, and Healesville Zoos only.
Wildlife-wise, I'm aiming for 175 species of birds, and as many mammals and reptiles as possible as can be found within a 2.5hr drive from my house. I would love to see some gliders, possums and any snake other than an Eastern Brown (which is the only snake I have seen in the wild).
zooboy28
Well-Known Member
I've still got a few Victorian zoos to visit (Mansfield, etc) and would also like to get out to Bendigo, Shepparton and Wilson's Promontory to explore those areas.
Brushtail Possums should be fairly easy to see near your home, I've seen a couple of squashed ones near mine, and heard them at night, but not actually seen any locally (although seen a couple elsewhere). Dunno about gliders. I haven't seen any wild snakes (except one when I was ~12), not really keen to actually...