ZSL London Zoo "£1.5bn aquarium project sinks" - Londons New Aquarium Plans Scrapped.
- Thread starter ollielloyd
- Start date
As a Fellow of ZSL it was apparent this project was going to crash and burn. The good news is that that hopefully they will renovate the original aquarium at the zoo. This seems to be happening with a number of the old tanks brought back on line after years of been boarded up. London Zoo Aquarium may not have a shark tunnels etc but it proper public aquarium without the hideous trappings of the Sealife Centres. You actually have to engage your brain when you view the exhibits and they do genuine research and conservation work unlike MacAquariums...
If London renovate their aquarium, whilst keeping their current stock they should at least try to enhance the layout a bit more from it's current 'bookshelf' state, and with some really fantastic exhibits, perhaps a few floor-to-celings. A distant possibility could also be a manatee exhibit, as this would prove a major draw to a zoo falling behind on drawcards recentley.
The problem I think is that the building is old and it may not support huge structural changes; water is very heavy - 1 cubic metre of water (220 gallons) is a 1000 kg. So maybe floor to ceiling exhibits may not be possible. It would be nice just to get it back to it's original state and then progress from there.
As for manatees, that would be a excellent idea; the fresh water ones are breeding in a number of European collections. London Zoo did have mantee many years ago. My old head keeper actually transported them to the zoo from South America.
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
There is no justification for housing manatees in artificially-lit exhibits, which would have to be the case if ZSL introduced this species into its aquarium building, as another exhibit, the mappin terraces, sits directly on its roof.
ZSL could introduce some exhibits in the centre of some of the halls, but I like the aquarium the way it is now. I don't think, when part of a wider zoological collection, that the aquarium needs to be quite as dramatic as other public aquaria. I also think zoos don't slip under the radar in the same way with mortalities etc so it is unseemly to exhibit large numbers of short-lived or difficult-to-breed fish in its aquaria. I don't think the same questins are asked of Sea Life Centres, maybe because they are too busy 'saving our seas' for any of the summer tourists to notice....
ZSL could introduce some exhibits in the centre of some of the halls, but I like the aquarium the way it is now. I don't think, when part of a wider zoological collection, that the aquarium needs to be quite as dramatic as other public aquaria. I also think zoos don't slip under the radar in the same way with mortalities etc so it is unseemly to exhibit large numbers of short-lived or difficult-to-breed fish in its aquaria. I don't think the same questins are asked of Sea Life Centres, maybe because they are too busy 'saving our seas' for any of the summer tourists to notice....
CiaranDUK
Well-Known Member
I agree - Britain NEEDS a world class aquarium!! BUT... NO WHALE SHARKS! I dont like them in captivity but I'm fine with Dolphins and Belugas but no bigger really. I think if a few of the big British Zoos (i.e. London/Whipsnade, Edinburgh, Chester, Colchester, Bristol etc etc) put money towards it then it might be a good plan, they will all get some revenue from it and Britain will have a brilliant, new, exciting world class aquarium!!
Yes I agree. Maybe part of a decent rainforest exhibit. Although be aware that some form of artificial light would have to be used as UV does not pass through glass.
As far as I know the original manatee exhibit at ZSL Aquarium is the large tank at the end of the aquarium on the right that houses fresh water rays etc.
Yes, that large tank you describe once housed manatee.
(London Zoo’s first manatee, though, arrived in 1875, so that tank was not the “original” manatee exhibit.)
Yes. I colleague who works at ZSL found so old PM reports from a manatee that was kept at the zoo. I also recall that as you entered the aquarium there was an aquatic exhibit on the right. I can't remember what it contained but manatee spring to mind - this was many years ago. ZSL also had a walrus calf in the sixties, it was housed in the elephant house.
If you’re referring to that pool, on the right, as you entered the foyer of the aquarium, I don’t remember it ever containing anything other than goldfish, carp, orfe etc.
Yes, I recall the walrus “Alice”, kept in the indoor elephant’s bathing pool, very well.
My friend and colleague Mike Moore look after her. Sadly she died of a broken rib from what I remember. But then perhaps the elephant bathing pool wasn't the ideal environment?
I really don't know why UK zoos and aquaria have never considered keeping walrus as other European collections have them and, of course, the USA. They do have special requirements but then so do all zoo animals. I remember playing with a baby at Seaworld years ago and also when I was working in Holland a friend at Harderwijk look after the walrus there and I was aloud in with them which was rather good fun.
I agree that the elephant bathing pool was not ideal an ideal environment for a young walrus although, to be fair, this was only ever intended as temporary accommodation.
The ZSL Annual Report for 1967 states she died “as the result of an accident” without giving further details. Thanks for the extra information.
Yes, the walruses at Hardewijk look really good; it would be nice to have some in the UK.....