Walter Zoo Gossau Abenteuerland Walter Zoo - Gossau / St. Gallen

Great new species arrived at Walter Zoo last month! Namely 2 Saharan striped weasels (Ictonyx libycus libycus) which came from Tiergarten Nürnberg.

Last month an Angolan python (Python anchietae) hatched, a zoo first breeding for Walter Zoo!

Last month a pair of twin Round-eared elephant shrews (Macroscelides proboscideus) were born! This is already the 4th time this year that this species has been born in the zoo.

Sources:
Instagram of Walter Zoo (12/07/2024)
Instagram of Walter Zoo (19/07/2024)
Instagram of Walter Zoo (26/07/2024)
 
Last month 2 Saharan striped weasels (Ictonyx libycus libycus) were born, a zoo first breeding for Walter Zoo! According to ZTL Biotropica, which also got this species this year, has also bred this species.

Source:
Instagram of Walter Zoo (07/09/2024)

Regarding Biotropica, I gave the info some times ago :

Amazing news : Biotropica has a breeding pair and during spring they had 5 pups :cool:
Most of all : the pups are on show (not the parents) since August 3rd :)

Les zorilles, nouvelles stars du parc zoologique Biotropica dans l'Eure - France Bleu
And I can confirm the youngs are on show : I saw three of these jewels last sunday :)

[url=https://www.photorapide.com/photos/1823666/083qt5at.jpg][/URL]
Taken with my phone.
 
The Walter Zoo Gossau published today the plans for their next big project. Between the flamingo enclosure, the savannah house and the nature trail the zoo is planning a new house with two floors. This house is fully underground and the biggest project in the zoos history. The total coast are around 16 mio swiss francs and the total area is about 4’165 squaremeters. In the whole house there will be a big focus on education and conservation.

In the ground floor there is a conservation house planned with a cinema with a short movie about conservation and the IUCN Redlist with their campaign "Reverse the Red". After that the visitors will discover a coral reef tank, two breeding stations and multiple terrariums with threaten species like the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) and the partula snail (partula nodosa). In the end there will be a display about what the visitors can do in everyday life to protect the nature.

One floor below is everything about biosluminescence and the darkness of the night. At first the visitors will go through a cave themed corridor with information about biosluminescence and why the darkness of the night is important for animals. After that corridor the visitors are comming to a cave with glowing animals and plants like Mt. Buffalo Glow-Worms (Arachnocampa sp.) and Pyrocystis fusiformis. There the visitors will take a 5min long water boat ride with 1 km/h and drive throw that glowing cave. Last and not least the visitors are comming to multiple tanks with for example helmet jellyfishes (Periphylla periphylla), warty comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) and firefly squids (Watasenia scitillans) and to a sience centre with interactive learing stations.

On the top of the house, there are outdoor enclosures for the european ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) and european hamster (Cricetus cricetus).

They created a complete own website for that project. Unfortunately the texts are only in german, but it's possible to translate the text through the browser.
Das Leuchtturmprojekt
 
2 Red Pandas escaped but have been brought back to their enclosure.
Walter Zoo Gossau SG on Instagram: " Tierischer Krimi im Zoo mit Happy End! ❄️ Über Nacht hat der Winter den Walter Zoo in eine Schneelandschaft verwandelt – ca. 30 cm Neuschnee sind gefallen! ❄️ Was schön aussieht, war für dieses eine Mal Pech: Bei unserer Panda-Anlage sind einige Pflanzen in die Anlage geknickt, und unsere beiden Panda-Damen haben die Gelegenheit genutzt, um auf Abenteuertour zu gehen! ️‍♂️ Nach dem Bemerken hat unser Zooteam sofort eine Suchaktion gestartet – die Spuren im Schnee verriet die beiden Ausreisser. Während Li es sich ein paar Meter neben der Anlage bei den Vikunjas gemütlich gemacht und in den Ästen gefressen hat , war unsere Yen abenteuerlustiger unterwegs. Ihre Spuren führten uns ausserhalb des Zoos in den Wald. Mithilfe eines Fussgängers und dem Team von K-9 Tiersuche Schweiz haben wir Yen schliesslich entdeckt – gemütlich spazierend im Wald! ‍♂️ Unsere Tierpfleger konnten sie nach einem kurzen Spurt mit einem Kescher sicher einfangen und zurück in den Zoo bringen. Dort wurden beide Kleinen Pandas von unserem Veterinärteam gründlich untersucht und somit konnten sie auch gleich einen kurzen medizinischen Check machen, der sowieso fällig gewesen wäre. Zurück in ihrer Anlage sind die beiden putzmunter! Happy End für alle und ein kurzes Abenteuer für unsere Kleinen Pandas. ❤️ #kleinePandas #panda #ausgebüxt #erkundungstour #happyend #adrenalin #zoo #walterzoo #abenteuer"
 
The Walter Zoo Gossau published today the plans for their next big project. Between the flamingo enclosure, the savannah house and the nature trail the zoo is planning a new house with two floors. This house is fully underground and the biggest project in the zoos history. The total coast are around 16 mio swiss francs and the total area is about 4’165 squaremeters. In the whole house there will be a big focus on education and conservation.

In the ground floor there is a conservation house planned with a cinema with a short movie about conservation and the IUCN Redlist with their campaign "Reverse the Red". After that the visitors will discover a coral reef tank, two breeding stations and multiple terrariums with threaten species like the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) and the partula snail (partula nodosa). In the end there will be a display about what the visitors can do in everyday life to protect the nature.

One floor below is everything about biosluminescence and the darkness of the night. At first the visitors will go through a cave themed corridor with information about biosluminescence and why the darkness of the night is important for animals. After that corridor the visitors are comming to a cave with glowing animals and plants like Mt. Buffalo Glow-Worms (Arachnocampa sp.) and Pyrocystis fusiformis. There the visitors will take a 5min long water boat ride with 1 km/h and drive throw that glowing cave. Last and not least the visitors are comming to multiple tanks with for example helmet jellyfishes (Periphylla periphylla), warty comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) and firefly squids (Watasenia scitillans) and to a sience centre with interactive learing stations.

On the top of the house, there are outdoor enclosures for the european ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) and european hamster (Cricetus cricetus).

They created a complete own website for that project. Unfortunately the texts are only in german, but it's possible to translate the text through the browser.
Das Leuchtturmprojekt
Very nice and ambitious project. Love to see when it is finished!


A good move for the crocodiles. Probably also better for their prospects of breeding the dwarf crocodiles!
 
In February the zoo announced that they became a member of the IUCN.

At the end of February the Fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus obesus) were moved to the former Gundi enclosure.

In March 2 Veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) were added to the Savannenhaus, this marks the return of this species to Walter Zoo.

In March 10 Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) were send to a zoo in Poland, these animals hatched in Walter Zoo in the last 2 years.

Sources:
Instagram of Walter Zoo (21/02/2025)
Instagram of Walter Zoo (15/03/2025)
Instagram of Walter Zoo (15/03/2025)
Instagram of Walter Zoo (27/03/2025)
 
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