Bear Situation In The UK

Hadley said:
I can't imagine what they would do with it should the bears leave.
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I've just read in the IZES news bulletin that the Sloth Bears are definately going to Whipsnade and temporarily at least, the Mappin exhibit will hold Australian fauna...(Wallabies, Emu, Brolga and waterfowl) and the lower area will have glass viewing windows etc.
 
I don't know but my guess is the changes will be made before the spring, in preparation for the new 'season' at ZSL...
 
Pertinax said:
I've just read in the IZES news bulletin that the Sloth Bears are definately going to Whipsnade and temporarily at least, the Mappin exhibit will hold Australian fauna...(Wallabies, Emu, Brolga and waterfowl) and the lower area will have glass viewing windows etc.
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How interesting...I know everyone was complaining, and it is quite a step down, but an australian themed area might not be that bad. We'll see. The old camel house used to have Australian animals in, what is that currently? It was undergoing building work in the summer when I was there last.

(This one): http://www.zoobeat.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/558/cat/500/ppuser/240
 
Writhedhornbill said:
Brolga sounds interesting.... I've never actually seen one!
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They look almost identical to Sarus Crane. Very rare in Europe though but I think Whipsnade may still have some(one, two, more?) so presumably that's why they're included on the plan.
 
Pertinax said:
They look almost identical to Sarus Crane. Very rare in Europe though but I think Whipsnade may still have some(one, two, more?) so presumably that's why they're included on the plan.
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Whipsnade have 1.1 and would like to bring in some more, but the last time this was discussed several years ago, the cost would have been equal to the whole bird section budget for the entire financial year.

I spoke with the head keeper in October and he did not mention any new cranes arriving at London, or the transfer of the Whipsnade pair, so it seems to be a recent decision.

They do look a lot like Sarus Cranes, the legs are darker and the neck and tail are grey. There is also less red bare skin on the face and they are slightly smaller.
 
bongorob said:
Whipsnade have 1.1 and would like to bring in some more, but the last time this was discussed several years ago, the cost would have been equal to the whole bird section budget for the entire financial year.
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Yeah, I found them on the ISIS inventory- Whipsnade's pair seem the ONLY ones in Europe. If they are moved to London I'd be surprised if they bred there, but you never know, sometimes a change of scenery causes birds to do surprising things.
That's presuming they do get moved, of course.
 
Walsrode also has Brolga I think. I have seen a video clip of one on a TV show I think that if whipsnade have bred brolga in their current conditions, then they should stay where they are.

Couldn't they get Brolga from Walsrode?
 
I've not seen the Brolga enclosure at Whipsnade, but I bet it's better than life on the Mappins, especially sharing with Emu, wallabies and waterfowl. It really isn't a great deal of space for animals that can't climb. I'm assuming they won't have access to the original bear areas, seeing as they would have to cross above deep moats to get to this level? Which only leaves the former pig and pelican areas (ie the lowest level) for this enclousure....
 
The brolga enclosure at Whipsnade is in the offshow bird area behind the bird gardens, it is just a standard grassed area and a shelter.
 
Here is an aerial view of the crane pens at Whipsnade, the small area at the bottom is where the corncrakes are bred.
 

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Hadley said:
I've not seen the Brolga enclosure at Whipsnade, but I bet it's better than life on the Mappins, especially sharing with Emu, wallabies and waterfowl...... Which only leaves the former pig and pelican areas (ie the lowest level) for this enclousure....
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Yes, I thought that too. However, I imagine they can source all the animals they need for this Australian exhibit from Whipsnade i.e. 'what Australian animals have we got at Whipsnade, lets see....... Wallabies(plenty of them) Emu, Brolga crane, and some waterfowl- e.g. Black Swans? Australian Wood Ducks(Maned geese)? -so they can fill the exhibit from their existing stock. I don't imagine they would specially import more Brolga cranes from elsewhere...

I think this MUST be a temporary exhibit which will only utilise the lowest area and the rest left empty again for the time being.
 
Just all a bit odd, they already keep Emu, Kangaroo, and Wallabies anyway, plus the proposed new otter pool in the clore pavillion, seems strange, but then again I still often think about London zoo in terms of its near-closure in the 1990's, in fact the visitor numbers are up, there's probably no real urgency to create something with new species right now.
 
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