Where I would have tended towards an aridland species relevant to that desert ecosystem, and one that sets the imagination off ....
Burgers' Zoo Burgers' Zoo News 2022
- Thread starter PicanBird
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What species are you refering to here, if I may ask?
Oh come on, that’s the most unimaginative answer ever. If google is correct, prairiedogs don’t even live in the Sonoran desert.
One of my favorite exhibits of all time was the Harris antelope squirrel exhibit at Skansen. A very active group of ground dwelling rodents, even with underground sights. The least Burgers could do is get one of the two ground rodents that do live in the Sonoran desert.
But there are so many options. How about levelling out the exhibit a bit and moving the peccaries into that area. Then moving some or one of the rodents out of the underground into that exhibit.
Or levelling out a part of the bighorn sheep exhibit and creating two or three smaller exhibits for jackrabbit or cottontail. Or adding a small children’s playground or “rocky” slide for kids. You could even create one larger exhibit for the bobcat there and get a fox species for the bobcat exhibit. Or even one or two smaller, “canyon like” aviaries.
Or the easiest, levelling it out a little, remove the walls and just add it to the rest of the desert and adding more (ground dwelling or not) birds.
I had hoped that with the removal of the pygmy hippo, red duiker, blue duiker, bongo, lowland tapir and warthogs, the mammal collection had dulled down enoughnow we are replacing the iconic (for Burgers at least) bighorn sheep with another of the most common and unthreatened species in zoos today. I’m baffled and frankly, a bit annoyed.
I couldn't wrote it better myself. Absolutely agree.
Pretty sure this is what is happening.
And my bet is that the peccaries are moving out for safety precautions, I mean current exhibit is really easy to fall into and to be in with bitey peccaries doesn't sound ideal.
So quite possibly this exhibit will be turned into prairiedog territory.
I actually am really excited for prairie dogs cause I like them a lot and think they make a cool new addition. The Desert doesn't need to be 100% Sonoran accurate, cause if you wish to complain, then why does nobody bring up the African cave crickets they keep.... Or is cause people ''forgive'' these sorts of inaccuracies cause it's an insect...
ZTL is a great tool and when I take look at it for several species that would be native, I see very few holders and possibilities. Not sure how likely a new import of harris antelope squirrels would be either. Could be that they considered it but it's just not possible..
They probably have their reasons for this addition over a zoonerd crazy species... For the rest of the public these prarie dogs will be great additions!
that is indeed very intresting. Even though I love reindeer, their exhibit just felt it didn'T belong, and was just a relict of the hoofstock area. Quite smal, and not very pretty. I hope it get replaced maybe with an aviary. (hopefully filled with asian species). The Zoo, has not that much space to expend left, and a aviary would use the area very effectivly.
you can't deny that the old bird house is just very smal. And could not keep all the bird species in this smal area,Even though I love birds, I dislike to see them in this outdated micro habitats (I was shocked last year in avifauna, in the tropical hall for example)
PicanBird
Well-Known Member
The zoo has plenty of space to expand to that is already theirs. However figuring out a optimal route to connect it all is the issue.
Some news from the Dutch zoo magazine "De Harpij":
- A 0.1 Sumatran tiger moved to Zoo du Bassin Arcachon.
- The last 6.6 bighorn sheep indeed left for Parc Canadien. Their enclosure will be redecorated in the course of 2022.
- In the bush, shortly after the death of the last male, a new male of the red-rumped cacique arrived.
- From World of Birds in Erica came 1.5 chestnut-bellied seed finches to strengthen the group in the Bush.
- A 0.1 Sumatran tiger moved to Zoo du Bassin Arcachon.
- The last 6.6 bighorn sheep indeed left for Parc Canadien. Their enclosure will be redecorated in the course of 2022.
- In the bush, shortly after the death of the last male, a new male of the red-rumped cacique arrived.
- From World of Birds in Erica came 1.5 chestnut-bellied seed finches to strengthen the group in the Bush.
The bighorn sheep are Ovis canadensis californiana, the most northernly for these in US is Oregon.
Some notes from a visit today:
- Quite some activity at the former bighorn sheep enclosure with a large number of big bags of sand being poured in. No work was done at the former reindeer enclosure, except some branches being moved out.
- Orange-fronted fruit doves are building a nest in the tree at the main caiman viewing point in the Bush. They previously had only males in the Bush, but it seems they moved a pair in this section, as there was one bird on the nest and a second collecting twigs. This is a bird that can be hard to locate in the Bush, but this should be a reliable spot.
- Saw a short-tail nurse shark in the deep part of the Lagune tank. They were said to move here, but hadn't seen one yet (still unsigned too).
- There are breeding pairs of Gambel's quail both free-ranging in the Desert and unsigned in the roadrunner aviary.
- I saw an Allison's anole for the first time in the Mangrove, it was in the palm tree next to the butterfly ID sign. This area generally seems the best part to seem them according to a keeper.
- Quite some activity at the former bighorn sheep enclosure with a large number of big bags of sand being poured in. No work was done at the former reindeer enclosure, except some branches being moved out.
- Orange-fronted fruit doves are building a nest in the tree at the main caiman viewing point in the Bush. They previously had only males in the Bush, but it seems they moved a pair in this section, as there was one bird on the nest and a second collecting twigs. This is a bird that can be hard to locate in the Bush, but this should be a reliable spot.
- Saw a short-tail nurse shark in the deep part of the Lagune tank. They were said to move here, but hadn't seen one yet (still unsigned too).
- There are breeding pairs of Gambel's quail both free-ranging in the Desert and unsigned in the roadrunner aviary.
- I saw an Allison's anole for the first time in the Mangrove, it was in the palm tree next to the butterfly ID sign. This area generally seems the best part to seem them according to a keeper.
Lucky bastard! These are one of the last birds I still need to complete my Bush collection! Is this where the fish/caiman signage can also be found?
Lucky bastard (again)! These are also the last species I need to complete my Mangrove collection (Apart from the geckos, of course)! I've been told the same thing by keepers, but they also said they were hiding during the winter. Good thing they're out and about again!
Thanks for the update! I'll be visiting again this week, I'll see if I can get the next update, as well as some pictures
It is right in the tree next to that sign, a bit on the left of the tree.
On another note, I am certain I saw a Lyle's flying fox, I thought all these males were supposed to have died, but I got clear close-up views of one close to the Desert entrance. So more to be spotted
The path around the enclosure and the restaurant terrace are completely blocked, so no viewing of the second ringtail enclosure or good views of what is happening in the former bighorn sheep enclosure
Quite some big updates on the bighorn sheep enclosure:
-the areas I had earlier assumed were to be removed, have been removed
- the pit in the front of the enclosure has been almost completely filled in. They also seem to be reworking the path (though I don't want to jump to conclusions)
- the marked out areas I assumed were places for climbing structures, have been more clearly marked out. This has also revealed a whole lot more areas for climbing!
Other updates:
- The Gambels quail sign is back, new and improved
- There seems to be more construction going on in the Desert, they're also busy in the tunnel between the Bush and the Desert. Although I have no idea why
- The caiman is indeed back in the Bush, and seems to be very happy to be in her enclosure again!
- Sadly, I have not seen the fruit doves or anoli (yet)
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Interesting updates! Ill be visiting next week, hopefully they'll have made some nice progress. Is there really only one caiman left now?
Quite some big updates on the bighorn sheep enclosure:
-the areas I had earlier assumed were to be removed, have been removed
View attachment 532020
- the pit in the front of the enclosure has been almost completely filled in. They also seem to be reworking the path (though I don't want to jump to conclusions)
View attachment 532012
- the marked out areas I assumed were places for climbing structures, have been more clearly marked out. This has also revealed a whole lot more areas for climbing!
View attachment 532014 View attachment 532015 View attachment 532016
Other updates:
- The Gambels quail sign is back, new and improved
View attachment 532017
- There seems to be more construction going on in the Desert, they're also busy in the tunnel between the Bush and the Desert. Although I have no idea why
View attachment 532018 View attachment 532019
- The caiman is indeed back in the Bush, and seems to be very happy to be in her enclosure again!
- Sadly, I have not seen the fruit doves or anoli (yet)
Been that way for a while now I think
PicanBird
Well-Known Member
Since 2015.
What direction was the desert tunnel construction work in? (From bush to desert, or vise versa)?
On the left side from the bush (the area with no exhibits). It's only the first area, with the miner displays up to the amethysts
Some other updates from later in my visit:
Some of the climbing structures in the sun bear/binturong enclosure have fallen down because of the heavy winds today.
The signage for the moray eel tank in ocean is gone, probably because the last honeycomb morays died recently.
A small group of guineafowl are kept in a separated aviary (similar to that of the flamingos) inside the pelican enclosure
Some of the climbing structures in the sun bear/binturong enclosure have fallen down because of the heavy winds today.
The signage for the moray eel tank in ocean is gone, probably because the last honeycomb morays died recently.
A small group of guineafowl are kept in a separated aviary (similar to that of the flamingos) inside the pelican enclosure
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