@Panthera1981 Yes the time for sealions being in it was past, the space was outdated and poor for them, but as we've seen with the old photo of the now otter enclosure and how well the seal enclosure was repurposed for the new inhabitants there, there are lots of 'could haves' in this one for me.
It’s definitely sad to see it go, but no one will ever agree on every decision made. Could something have been done with it? Sure, but making that area a ‘visitor hub’ I can totally understand even if it’s not massively interesting
@ajmcwhipsnade It's certainly better than it just sitting there boarded up decaying away. It's such a nice space though it would have been great for a walkthrough aviary even if the building was not there.
When it was first announced that the sea lions were moving, ZSL announced that it would be redeveloped for another species, many of us, myself included, got a little ambitious and hopes for manatees. A smaller seal species would have been more realistic and also welcome. It was a little small for sea lions, as well as very dirty, but they always bred well, and I loved the ambience of the whole building. It was my first time ever seeing any pinniped, so it holds a lot of memories.
Their departure was for the better, and ZSL certainly have their reasons, as well as several other exciting projects to make up for it, but it is difficult for me not be be just a little disappointed that the plans for a new species never came to fruition, and that this exhibit which holds so much sentimental value for so many will soon be a thing of the past.
The interior of the house once had an absolutely fantastic mural of marine life painted from floor to ceiling. I’m not sure if this was a remnant from when the building housed dolphin but it subsequently got whitewashed over. I never found out the reasons why, nor did I ever get a straight answer. Unforgivable.
@Kalaw What are the Whispnade projects on the horizon that have been announced? Have they announced plans for what they will do on the space created by knocking down the sea lion house?
@DavidBrown The old sealion area will be converted to covered seating / picnic spaces. The main development at the zoo at the moment is the new monkey forest area which is under construction for Sulawesi Macaques and Anoa (there's some pictures of that in this gallery and the Whipsnade thread).
