Bruce has had the builders in - a new house, a new roof, a new man cave and a new layout for his circuit walking. I think he must have been in the bundle of straw in the little house to the right at the back.
New planting too (in new soil). He's been using his new house with the panoramic window for a while, although it has been moved into a new position.
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Cloe Noir
Hello! I am currently writing a husbandry manual about echidnas. I found interesting the way that Paignton Zoo display their enclosures... As far as I saw... Do they have two enclosures? One indoors and one outdoors?
It would be great to learn how they house the species as it can be nice in terms of enrichment.
This used to be Bruce's enclosure. He moved into the Nocturnal House last year - you've probably seen the photos. He's kept indoors there although I believe there were/are plans to give him access to an adjacent outdoor enclosure that used to house meerkats and, more recently, agouti. You'll find photos of it in this gallery too
Old Bruce was moved into an indoor exhibit a few months after @Gigit posted this photo and the photoperiod was gradually reversed making it a nocturnal house. This seemed strange to me as he was active and easily visible in his outdoor exhibit, at least in the afternoon, and he seemed less active in the nocturnal house. I wonder if the zoo was concerned that as an old animal he needed a warmer environment in an indoor enclosure.
The photo above shows virtually the whole of the old enclosure, with a shelter in the corner with a heat lamp, a hutch with a front window and an arched artificial tunnel. Previously there were 2 hutches at the back of the enclosure, each had a fairly narrow entrance tunnel about 1 metre long. As you can see it is in a wooded area on a south-facing slope, so it is fairly sheltered and Paignton has a mild climate by English standards.
His indoor enclosure is linked to an outdoor section, which was being renovated earlier this year. I was told that Bruce would be getting access to it, which I assume would mean that the lighting indoors would be changed back again. But of course I don't know what has been happening while the zoo has been closed. Note @Gigit posted the note above while I was typing this one.
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Cloe Noir
Thank you so much for the information!
It got my attention that is indoors with basking spots, it is the first enclosure I see with heat lumps as a part of the setup. I watched a video on YouTube about Bruce (already starting to love him). Promise to share what I get about echidnas on here I will refer all this information is that alright for you
