Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp News 2014

kiang said:
I see on zootiereliste that there are no okapi at Rotterdam, is this correct?

ZootierlisteHomepage
Click to expand...

Correct, the remaining individuals (2.0) went to Dublin in September

The species will return once new accommodation has been built for them in Rotterdam. There former enclosure is due to be used as the site for a new Lion exhibit I believe
 
The former okapi area will indeed be transformed into a new lion area for the indian lions, I believe the opening is due end of 2014. The okapis should return in 2015, the plan is now to change the migratory bird aviary into an okapi enclosure in Doue style, so a large aviary where the okapis are kept together with birds and others... Originally the okapis should come on another place, but the old addax enclosure will be refurnished into an red river hog enclosure and red forest buffalos will also be added in the area...

Personally I find it a shame as the migratory bird aviary is one of the greatest exhibits in Rotterdam...
 
Nisha said:
Correct, the remaining individuals (2.0) went to Dublin in September

The species will return once new accommodation has been built for them in Rotterdam. There former enclosure is due to be used as the site for a new Lion exhibit I believe
Click to expand...
Well in that case why does zootierlist,only list Dublin as having only one??
 
lintworm said:
Personally I find it a shame as the migratory bird aviary is one of the greatest exhibits in Rotterdam...
Click to expand...

By "the migratory bird aviary", do you mean the one with European waders, near to the gorillas and the big playground?

If so, that would, indeed, be a real shame - a really wonderful aviary, which adds something very different to the zoo.

That said, the absence of okapis, such a signature species for the zoo, is also a real shame - and their return cannot come soon enough.

Ten years ago, it would have been hard not to see Blijdorp as one of the top four or five zoos in Europe. I sort of feel, perhaps unfairly, that it has slipped back a bit, losing its pre-eminence, as, in the same period, real strides forward have been made by, amongst others, the big three Belgian zoos, Artis, and Arnhem. I'll be visiting Blijdorp in the spring, for the first time in 5 years, and I'm bracing myself to be a little disappointed....
 
That's indeed the one. And Blijdorp has been struggling with the cut of funds, which forced them to cut costs and to rearrange their work. Even with this they managed to keep developping some nice new enclosures and I would still rate then way above Artis, Antwerp, Planckendael and Pairi Daiza. To be fair Pairi Daiza has been catching up (they do have the budget for it as well), but their approach is a bit special and could use a bigger input into conservation.
 
For us zoonerds Blijdorp may have lost a bit of its quality, as the herpetofaune collection has been greatly reduced and some other rarities like golden cat, sichuan takin & rusty spotted cat also have disappeared. But in general the zoo had made good progress, especially giving their economic situation. I really like the new butterfly house, although it is like good cheese, it still needs some years :p. And the new rhino enclosure really has style. I also really liked the refurbished parts in the Asia section.

It depends with which attitude you go, probably every zoo nerd who has never been there before finds it very amazing, but if you know it from a few years earlier you may be a bit disappointed, although I find that unfair. Because they also brought in some very nice species as balabac kantjil and sengi, to "compensate" the losses in terms of collection ;)
 
Second time that the Black and rufous elephant shrews have bred at Rotterdam.
Also the Dalmatian pelicans have young ( number unknown to me ).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top