Despite feeling a bit under the weather, I decided to head to BZ yesterday, here's the news:
- The climbing course for the Coppery titi is now seemingly complete, with ropes over the manatee creek and all the way to the back of the dry forest section.
I spoke to a head guide, who revealed various goings-on from behind the scenes, apparently they had another seminar recently updating them on the latest. This did inform us that this:
- I spoke to a guide for a bit after we spotted the Red-tailed catfish in the Capybara pond (a rare sight). She mentioned the Coppery titi's have arrived and will remain behind the scenes (in quaratine) for at least 4 weeks.
Is unfortunately incorrect. The guides were told this was the case, but apparently the Coppery titi's aren't even in the Netherlands yet. They're still held up in Germany so it'll be a while before they're released, especially since they'll still need the four weeks quarantine (I assume) once here.
Some other tidbits he mentioned:
- Burgers' Zoo does plan to bring back another Broad-snouted caiman somewhere this year. Due to Bureaucratic bullsh... they're not allowed to get a different species of caiman, otherwise they may have gone for a dwarf caiman species, with which they may have been able to hold a group of the animals, rather than a single individual.
- The Indian star tortoises are still behind the scenes due to, once again, bureaucratic
male bovine excrement. I wondered about the possibility of a mixed reptile enclosure (with, for example, Sailfin lizards, Asian water dragons or birds), but he mentioned that that wasn't going to happen, unfortunately.
- The Asian water monitor will, at some point, leave the collection
- One of the Red diamond rattlesnakes has died, I didn't see any in the enclosure
Further news:
- The entrance is being renovated
- The Madagascar crested ibises are building a nest right after the adventure path with the hanging bridge
- The Pyrrhuloxia and Black-headed grosbeak are now signed in the Desert species list. There's also still room for two more free-roamers to join...
- The Orange-breasted bunting is now also signed in the Canyon aviary, they've become very showy as they came near/into the visitor area quite a few times. The mini sign for the Socorro doves was removed, but they still have a separate sign in the aviary.
- The Mexican house finches are building a nest
- The Gila monster terrarium was almost completely dark. I'd show the picture but the terrarium is pretty much just a mirror
- Instead of advertisements for the gift shop, the screen next to the gift shop now displays bus departure times. Although I don't use the bus much, this is a great addition