Advice

C

cottoni

Active Member
Hello, I'm french keeper, in UK for a while, I'll visit few zoos...I'm a rhino-lover, which zoo to you advise me ? I planned Colchester, Chester, Edinburgh, whipsnade and Africa alive, can you give me some details about each zoo ?


I will be in Leeds, if you know accomodation, youth hostel or friend... tell me :)

Thanks.
 
For rhinos in particular, Chester, Whipsnade and Port Lympne would be good places to go.

- Chester has black rhinos and an Indian Rhino and in my opinion, it is the best zoo in the UK. It has some fantastic exhibits for interesting species (Orangs, Jaguars, Elephants, Komodo Dragons).
- Whipsnade has a huge herd of white rhinos and a growing group of Indians (with new accomodation on the way soon and two youngsters) not to mention the largest elephant exhibit in Europe.
- Port Lympne has black rhinos, but i do not know too much about the Aspinall parks, except they do extremely well with primates and carnivores...

Other than them, Colchester seems good (3rd collection in UK to house Komodo Dragons beside Chester and London), Edinburgh may be worth a visit for their new enclosures (chimps, lorikeets) and London for the historical aspect...
 
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CZJimmy said:
For rhinos in particular, Chester, Whipsnade and Port Lympne would be good places to go.

- Whipsnade has a huge herd of white rhinos and a growing group of Indians (with new accomodation on the way soon and two youngsters) not to mention the largest elephant exhibit in Europe..
Click to expand...

I'd agree with first statement
- those three are the leading Uk rhino collections.

Whipsnade doesn't have a particularly large herd of Whites any more- only about 8/9 animals including two or three calves. But all except one female and the male were born at Whipsnade and its still one of the largest Uk groups. The Indians are certainly worth seeing- but be prepared for the new house not to be finished or opened yet -IF it isn't, the mothers and calves could be difficult to see in their old indoor stalls(there is a TV monitor) if the weather is horrible- as it is at present... Warning; Whipsnade is foul in bad winter weather- Port Lympne similar but not as bad. :(
 
Grant do you know how many Indian rhinos they want to hold there when the new rhino house in open
 
MARK said:
Grant do you know how many Indian rhinos they want to hold there when the new rhino house in open
Click to expand...

Bongorob said he'd been told it was 2.2.

However, they currently have 2.4 (bull, three females, male and female calves). I can't see how they will be able to fit all these into the new house which looked to me from the construction I saw, as if it has three seperate divisions (each with heated pool area). Unless there is provsion for holding another one or two animals at the back(I don't think so)

My guess is the two mothers(Behan and B...endra) and their calves will have a compartment each, and probably the old female 'Roopa' will get the third. The bull Jaffna is due to return to Basel shortly- he's currently living in the rhino house nearest the elephants( which formerly housed the Gaur, and before that... the previous Indian rhino pair)

I imagine when they get a new male(s) it may still live in the old accomodation if they want to be able to seperate them- I don't know...:confused:
 
I agree that Port Lymphe, Chester & Whipsnade are the best UK Zoo for Rhinos. Knowsley have a very succsessful White Rhino breeding programme aswell. Id go to Colchester, Marwell & Edinburgh aswell if i were you.
 
Hello,
thanks a lot for all your informations. I planned Africa alive, Colchester and Whipsnade to start :)

after that, of course Chester, Edinburgh and I don't know yet :)

I'll try to share my pics with you as soon as I could. ( sorry for my bad english :rolleyes:)
 
Cottoni, If it helps Whipsnade have recently had a white rhino birth, last month.
 
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CZJimmy said:
Cottoni, If it helps Whipsnade have recently had a white rhino birth, last month.
YouTube - Baby Rhino
Click to expand...

Do you know the sex of this calf? The most recent ones have all been males to my knowledge. The interesting thing about Whipsnade's Whites nowadays is not the herd size anymore, but the fact that the adults are all Whipsnade bred, except for one original imported female and the unrelated bull...
 
mmm, if so he's about the fourth male birth they've had in a row...

Intruging but this is posted on the Whipsnade website though they don't mention the elephant calf- maybe its too soon?
 
Probably due to technical stuff rather than age of the calf. They publicised the baby Indian rhino when it was still very tiny.
 
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