Electus Parrot
Well-Known Member
On Sunday (13th December) the pandas were finally shown to the people of Adelaide, well the people who had invites. The zoo was closed and it will reopen on the 14th of December.
I was invited to go at 12:30. Before the zoo opened many people came out, these people mostly came from the government. Firstly I will go through the panda area. I will not be able to get the photos I took up until later on this week and I was unable to get photos of the pandas because I couldn't get the flash turned off on my camera and we were not allowed to use cameras with flash, but I was able to get some videos but I am unsure if we can upload them here.
My viewing time was at 3:00. The line for the pandas started at the pecarries and finished up just past the pelicans. Because of this all the aviaries along that path were unable to be viewed and the Australian walk-through aviaries were closed. As you enter you get a book with the story of how the panda got its colour. On the entry through the gate there are Chinese objects from a village and along the path to the pandas there is the stages of the growth of the panda starting at when it is in the mother's womb. These continue all along the way. The path takes you past a medium sized pond which is meant to have Mandarin ducks but none were there, but there were many goldfish in the pond. Everything is planted out with bamboo, also across from all of the panda exhibits there is large stone seating. Around the pond there are 12 different animal metal statues, but they are not full, only showing one side. These animals are from the story and include pheasants, takins, snow leopards, baikal teals and more. After this there is Funi's exhibit. It is surprisingly small compared to what I thought it would be and there are rocks absolutely everywhere and there is a small stream and some trees. Across from Funi's exhibit there is the first red panda exhibit but none were out.
Inside the building there were the two pandas, the building was completely filled with people making it hard to get a view. The pandas were both just sitting and eating, Wang Wang got up and moved a bit but that was all. The indoor exhibits are mostly fake rock but has some climbing equipment (trees that are designed for climbing) and a small stream.
Outside there is Wang Wang's exhibit. I prefered his exhibit but both were designed different to show the different habitats. Wang Wang's exhibit was a bit bigger and was very open with large trees, grass, pond, cooling rock and lots and lots or rocks. In both exhibits there are lots of smaller plants including mondo grass that cover the ground. Wang Wang's exhibit also has a shelter that you can see through into his exhibit and the cool rock is in front of it. On the other side of this exhibit there is the second red panda exhibit which was also empty. The red panda exhibits have two trees and are joined by thick bamboo to create a some more climbing space and they are planted out with many smaller plants. There is a small shelter for them at the back and I thought these exhibts were a bit disappointing but were ok. The panda exhibits were extremelt high quality and they had done a very good job with the whole Bamboo Forest area.
The front entrance is massive and looks very good, when we got there some work still had to be done on it but looked very good. The hippo, pygmy hippo and otter exhibit fencing was all changed to make it more natural and the old gift shop had been turned in the Wang Wang and Funi gift shop.
Mnay other things had happened around the zoo as well. In the bird section there are new aviaries being put up under the children's zoo. All of the aviaries by the cassowary have been extended to create just four aviaries. The end aviary closest to the brolga has been turned into a beach aviary but nothing has been added yet but it will be exciting to see what is in it. Many birds have also been moved around to different exhibits including the red-winged parrot being moved to one of the toilet aviaries. A pair of central red-tailed black cockatoo have been acquired and have been put in with the other male central red-tailed black cockatoo. The Siamese crested pheasants have gone and a pair of sun conures have been added. The cotton-top tamrins are now in the sun conure aviary.
In the reptile area the Gippsland water dragons, Macqurie turtles and Eastern long-necked turtles have been moved into the old otter exhibit across from the seals. A male mata mata turtle has moved into the old water dragon exhibit.
Many new insects and arachnids are on display in the little creature house but they don't have exhibit signs so I am unsure of the species. The baby meerkats are on display and a pair of golden-lion tamarins have moved into one of the tree shrew exhibits. The cotton-top tamarin exhibit is being renovated for pygmy marmosets. A Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo has moved into the colobus exhibit and the colobus monkeys have been moved to Monarto making their group 7 in total.
I will upload the pictures soon but I will be away for a couple of days so I am unable to do it now.
I was invited to go at 12:30. Before the zoo opened many people came out, these people mostly came from the government. Firstly I will go through the panda area. I will not be able to get the photos I took up until later on this week and I was unable to get photos of the pandas because I couldn't get the flash turned off on my camera and we were not allowed to use cameras with flash, but I was able to get some videos but I am unsure if we can upload them here.
My viewing time was at 3:00. The line for the pandas started at the pecarries and finished up just past the pelicans. Because of this all the aviaries along that path were unable to be viewed and the Australian walk-through aviaries were closed. As you enter you get a book with the story of how the panda got its colour. On the entry through the gate there are Chinese objects from a village and along the path to the pandas there is the stages of the growth of the panda starting at when it is in the mother's womb. These continue all along the way. The path takes you past a medium sized pond which is meant to have Mandarin ducks but none were there, but there were many goldfish in the pond. Everything is planted out with bamboo, also across from all of the panda exhibits there is large stone seating. Around the pond there are 12 different animal metal statues, but they are not full, only showing one side. These animals are from the story and include pheasants, takins, snow leopards, baikal teals and more. After this there is Funi's exhibit. It is surprisingly small compared to what I thought it would be and there are rocks absolutely everywhere and there is a small stream and some trees. Across from Funi's exhibit there is the first red panda exhibit but none were out.
Inside the building there were the two pandas, the building was completely filled with people making it hard to get a view. The pandas were both just sitting and eating, Wang Wang got up and moved a bit but that was all. The indoor exhibits are mostly fake rock but has some climbing equipment (trees that are designed for climbing) and a small stream.
Outside there is Wang Wang's exhibit. I prefered his exhibit but both were designed different to show the different habitats. Wang Wang's exhibit was a bit bigger and was very open with large trees, grass, pond, cooling rock and lots and lots or rocks. In both exhibits there are lots of smaller plants including mondo grass that cover the ground. Wang Wang's exhibit also has a shelter that you can see through into his exhibit and the cool rock is in front of it. On the other side of this exhibit there is the second red panda exhibit which was also empty. The red panda exhibits have two trees and are joined by thick bamboo to create a some more climbing space and they are planted out with many smaller plants. There is a small shelter for them at the back and I thought these exhibts were a bit disappointing but were ok. The panda exhibits were extremelt high quality and they had done a very good job with the whole Bamboo Forest area.
The front entrance is massive and looks very good, when we got there some work still had to be done on it but looked very good. The hippo, pygmy hippo and otter exhibit fencing was all changed to make it more natural and the old gift shop had been turned in the Wang Wang and Funi gift shop.
Mnay other things had happened around the zoo as well. In the bird section there are new aviaries being put up under the children's zoo. All of the aviaries by the cassowary have been extended to create just four aviaries. The end aviary closest to the brolga has been turned into a beach aviary but nothing has been added yet but it will be exciting to see what is in it. Many birds have also been moved around to different exhibits including the red-winged parrot being moved to one of the toilet aviaries. A pair of central red-tailed black cockatoo have been acquired and have been put in with the other male central red-tailed black cockatoo. The Siamese crested pheasants have gone and a pair of sun conures have been added. The cotton-top tamrins are now in the sun conure aviary.
In the reptile area the Gippsland water dragons, Macqurie turtles and Eastern long-necked turtles have been moved into the old otter exhibit across from the seals. A male mata mata turtle has moved into the old water dragon exhibit.
Many new insects and arachnids are on display in the little creature house but they don't have exhibit signs so I am unsure of the species. The baby meerkats are on display and a pair of golden-lion tamarins have moved into one of the tree shrew exhibits. The cotton-top tamarin exhibit is being renovated for pygmy marmosets. A Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo has moved into the colobus exhibit and the colobus monkeys have been moved to Monarto making their group 7 in total.
I will upload the pictures soon but I will be away for a couple of days so I am unable to do it now.
