Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp News 2020

The black rhino stables and outdoor paddocks were built only a few years ago and now there are plans for them to move out?! What a waste of money, horrible planning. Unbelieveable.
 
The elephant expansion is a huge and likely very expensive development for a species that is both a bit controversial and extremely expensive to keep, while at the same time reducing the collection (at least Indian rhino and camel, the latter are beloved by the public even if most zoochatters don't see their value). Blijdorp's collection is probably big enough to handle a reduction with significantly reducing attractivity, but somehow I cannot keep myself from worrying that it may be a financially risky strategy for a struggling zoo. However, the people at Rotterdam Zoo certainly understand their situation much better than I do, so maybe my fears are unfounded.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
The elephant expansion is a huge and likely very expensive development for a species that is both a bit controversial and extremely expensive to keep, while at the same time reducing the collection (at least Indian rhino and camel, the latter are beloved by the public even if most zoochatters don't see their value). Blijdorp's collection is probably big enough to handle a reduction with significantly reducing attractivity, but somehow I cannot keep myself from worrying that it may be a financially risky strategy for a struggling zoo. However, the people at Rotterdam Zoo certainly understand their situation much better than I do, so maybe my fears are unfounded.
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If the public had the choice of elephants or camels I am fairly confident they would go with elephants.
 
Blijdorpenaar said:
The zoo does wish to continue with the black rhino's, though they originally (read: pre-pandemic) wanted to give them a new enclosure somewhere in the coming decade. They can't stay on their current spot anyway with the Rivièrahal being in desperate need of a restauration so it would only make sense to move them out while they're at it. Don't hold your breath for that to happen though.

When I saw the plans ....
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Thanks for those insider informations. That explains a lot, specially why they did not include the northeastern corner in their plans (Oh those monument protection regulations... Sometimes I don't know if what bothers me more: those stone-and-concrete-rescuers or animal rights activits)
 
Shirokuma said:
If the public had the choice of elephants or camels I am fairly confident they would go with elephants.
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True, but that's not the point. My remark about camels was more about the observation that zoochatters sometimes forget how beloved they are with visitors, and not on how they compare to elephants.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
The elephant expansion is a huge and likely very expensive development for a species that is both a bit controversial and extremely expensive to keep, while at the same time reducing the collection (at least Indian rhino and camel, the latter are beloved by the public even if most zoochatters don't see their value). Blijdorp's collection is probably big enough to handle a reduction with significantly reducing attractivity, but somehow I cannot keep myself from worrying that it may be a financially risky strategy for a struggling zoo. However, the people at Rotterdam Zoo certainly understand their situation much better than I do, so maybe my fears are unfounded.
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We have no evidence that camels are 'beloved by the public'. Despite at Hamerton having one of the few regular breeding herds in the UK including a bull from Rotterdam and cows from Russia, with cute babies most years, we have never had a camel adopted or sponsored; which is a very good barometer for public interest, or lack of it.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
The elephant expansion is a huge and likely very expensive development for a species that is both a bit controversial and extremely expensive to keep, while at the same time reducing the collection (at least Indian rhino and camel, the latter are beloved by the public even if most zoochatters don't see their value). Blijdorp's collection is probably big enough to handle a reduction with significantly reducing attractivity, but somehow I cannot keep myself from worrying that it may be a financially risky strategy for a struggling zoo. However, the people at Rotterdam Zoo certainly understand their situation much better than I do, so maybe my fears are unfounded.
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You are forgetting the species reduction has gone on for some time now. The biggest losses have been the Rivièra Hall complex. The newish conservation carrousel is a sad side show compared to what once was. I can understand a smallish zoo for downsizing when with loads of species, not so a zoo like Rotterdam with good space. It is a huge difference 8-10 ha or the 45 ha or more at Rotterdam.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
You are forgetting the species reduction has gone on for some time now. The biggest losses have been the Rivièra Hall complex. The newish conservation carrousel is a sad side show compared to what once was. I can understand a smallish zoo for downsizing when with loads of species, not so a zoo like Rotterdam with good space. It is a huge difference 8-10 ha or the 45 ha or more at Rotterdam.
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The Rivièrahal has next to no insolation. You're basically trying to warm the sky in the winter. It's expensive and pollutive. That, and when the animals were originally removed, we thought the restauration would happen soon and it wouldn't be allowed to keep all the terrariums anyway... Though it would surprise me if the restauration actually started within the next fifteen years. They might just push it up the road untill the 100 year anniversary to be honest.
 
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