Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
Maned wolf were at Dudley in the early 1990s, housed where the Bush Dogs are now. Similarly, Spotted Hyaenas were there at the same period, housed where the Sumatran tiger is now.
Dudley Zoological Gardens Dudley Zoo News 2024
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Lafone
Well-Known Member
Had an enjoyable visit to Dudley today, weather was nice and lots to see.
As benosaurus mentioned above it was nice to see the broken window on the otter enclosure replaced and a new frontage added in keeping with the other new spaces in the zoo.
A keeper talk confirmed the new enclosure under construction is for painted dogs. The pathway along the front was shut off though you could see the new window holes going in
and further progress on the landscaping etc
A water feature going in by the looks of it. It looks to be in the same style as the other new areas such as the bush dog space which has turned out well. It is quite long and narrow so a lot will come down to the mounds and hiding spaces though it should be a big enough area for running about in etc when both sides are done.
Really enjoyed the new reindeer ravine and having never been up onto the tectons there it was such fun to be able to explore around and see the view from the upper area. There were a couple of thick glass panels sunk into the floor of the walkway above what I assume was the bear house, were these overhead viewing windows or just to let the light in? Quite an unusual feature.
Overall a great quality exhibit, well done housing for the reindeer and the use of the tectons and enclosure space has been well thought out with lots of good viewing angles.
Though the sign for the Sumatran thrush was gone on the aviary near the otters (and the red crested turacos were there but unsigned) it was nice to see a lilac breasted roller and weavers in the aviary next door since my last visit. Do love a roller so that was a bit of a treat.
Got great views of Keshari the Asiatic lion and the warm weather also brought the orangutans out with youngsters Jim and Joe playing about which was simply lovely. The chimps were also out enjoying the sun on their platforms.
Was also fun to see the young arctic foxes before they leave for pastures new, particularly as a keeper arrived with some fruit for them so they all mobbed about. The wolverines were also running around and it's interesting to see how much Helga's coat resembles Fi (her mother at Whipsnade), with the distinctive brighter brown.
As benosaurus mentioned above it was nice to see the broken window on the otter enclosure replaced and a new frontage added in keeping with the other new spaces in the zoo.
A keeper talk confirmed the new enclosure under construction is for painted dogs. The pathway along the front was shut off though you could see the new window holes going in
and further progress on the landscaping etc
A water feature going in by the looks of it. It looks to be in the same style as the other new areas such as the bush dog space which has turned out well. It is quite long and narrow so a lot will come down to the mounds and hiding spaces though it should be a big enough area for running about in etc when both sides are done.
Really enjoyed the new reindeer ravine and having never been up onto the tectons there it was such fun to be able to explore around and see the view from the upper area. There were a couple of thick glass panels sunk into the floor of the walkway above what I assume was the bear house, were these overhead viewing windows or just to let the light in? Quite an unusual feature.
Overall a great quality exhibit, well done housing for the reindeer and the use of the tectons and enclosure space has been well thought out with lots of good viewing angles.
Though the sign for the Sumatran thrush was gone on the aviary near the otters (and the red crested turacos were there but unsigned) it was nice to see a lilac breasted roller and weavers in the aviary next door since my last visit. Do love a roller so that was a bit of a treat.
Got great views of Keshari the Asiatic lion and the warm weather also brought the orangutans out with youngsters Jim and Joe playing about which was simply lovely. The chimps were also out enjoying the sun on their platforms.
Was also fun to see the young arctic foxes before they leave for pastures new, particularly as a keeper arrived with some fruit for them so they all mobbed about. The wolverines were also running around and it's interesting to see how much Helga's coat resembles Fi (her mother at Whipsnade), with the distinctive brighter brown.
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I haven't been to Dudley for many years now but despite always having limited funds it seems, they are experiencing a recent upswing I feel- new Orangutan outdoor enclosure, renovation of Bear Ravine, now new Hunting dog area plus I'm sure there are others I've omitted.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I'd agree, the extension to the giraffe space, updated enclosures for the red pandas and parma wallabies, the bush dog space and the updated aviaries with new stock and the refresh to the chimp area, all done very well. The wolverines and arctic foxes in the tecton spaces although there for a while now are also great and make good use of the area. They've also established a style of enclosure which works well.
They seem to be working their way around the zoo adding new things and refreshing old spaces and they've had some good breeding results with the binturong, orangs etc over the last few years. It's a fun place to visit.
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
I can echo these thoughts myself, having visited in March, it was refreshing to see how much work the collection has improved since my first visit back in 2013. The species they’ve acquired over the last few years and the development of existing enclosures is applaudable.
The arrival of numerous small carnivore taxa, plus breeding success of Bornean orangutan, gelada and giant anteater are great achievements. If they can nail down breeding with their big cats within the next few years (admittedly, the tigers are probably non-breeding at this stage) then, I think they’ve done really well.
The arrival of African hunting dog is another welcomed addition to the collection.
Like I said, bringing African wild dogs back to the zoo doesn't exactly make it a 'new species'.
I appreciate all the other developments, changes and renovations they've been making across the site over the past years but IDK... I would like to see something different being added instead of just the same species that have already been kept before!
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
Did you see a couple of steel trapdoors on the level where the windows that are above the bear dens? If you didn't, I think that the windows are a new instalment and sunk into the floor inplace of the door's. You are quite right, the old dens are underneath those windows but they would be above the corridor to the dens. I explored those dens when I was at Dudley in the early 1990s. The access to the dens was via a metal ladder, exactly the same way as the access to the dens where the Wolverine are now. Also on that level was the site where the original Chimpanzee cage was. You can see where the bars have been cut off in the back wall. A great bit of Dudley Zoo history! I agree that the zoo seems to be be very active with the development overall of the site, hopefully they will be able to do something with the old primate houses they are starting to look very tired.Had an enjoyable visit to Dudley today, weather was nice and lots to see.
As benosaurus mentioned above it was nice to see the broken window on the otter enclosure replaced and a new frontage added in keeping with the other new spaces in the zoo.
A keeper talk confirmed the new enclosure under construction is for painted dogs. The pathway along the front was shut off though you could see the new window holes going in
View attachment 731157
and further progress on the landscaping etc
View attachment 731156
A water feature going in by the looks of it. It looks to be in the same style as the other new areas such as the bush dog space which has turned out well. It is quite long and narrow so a lot will come down to the mounds and hiding spaces though it should be a big enough area for running about in etc when both sides are done.
Really enjoyed the new reindeer ravine and having never been up onto the tectons there it was such fun to be able to explore around and see the view from the upper area. There were a couple of thick glass panels sunk into the floor of the walkway above what I assume was the bear house, were these overhead viewing windows or just to let the light in? Quite an unusual feature.
View attachment 731158
Overall a great quality exhibit, well done housing for the reindeer and the use of the tectons and enclosure space has been well thought out with lots of good viewing angles.
Though the sign for the Sumatran thrush was gone on the aviary near the otters (and the red crested turacos were there but unsigned) it was nice to see a lilac breasted roller and weavers in the aviary next door since my last visit. Do love a roller so that was a bit of a treat.
View attachment 731159
Got great views of Keshari the Asiatic lion and the warm weather also brought the orangutans out with youngsters Jim and Joe playing about which was simply lovely. The chimps were also out enjoying the sun on their platforms.
Was also fun to see the young arctic foxes before they leave for pastures new, particularly as a keeper arrived with some fruit for them so they all mobbed about. The wolverines were also running around and it's interesting to see how much Helga's coat resembles Fi (her mother at Whipsnade), with the distinctive brighter brown.
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Lafone
Well-Known Member
I didn't see steel doors, so guess they must indeed be the replacement for them. That's really interesting about the dens! The access must have been a bit precarious when carrying loads of stuff. The history is interesting, I like the displays around the zoo with the pictures of the old enclosures
I agree the primate houses could do with some work and perhaps a new space for the lynx might be nice as the indoor is good but the outdoor is quite low with fewer climbing opportunities than you see in other places. The cats always look good. The primate houses have recently had new indoor furniture though and some new climbing in the outside area.
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Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
The concerns those days ,wasn't so much about getting up and down to the dens, although a good frost made life tricky, it was hoping that the bears were still in the dens because it was quite dark down there .
That's right, the glass panels were installed when the Bear Ravine Tecton was renovated...
Bear-faced history of life in Dudley Zoo ravine | Express & Star (expressandstar.com)
@Strathmorezoo the link above also contains photos of the old internal doors to the individual dens.
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By the way, the Royal Institute of British Architects' website contains an 11-page gallery of really interesting old photos of the zoo's Tectons...
Search | RIBA pix
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
Looking at the RIBA pix is fascinating, I can remember all of the old structures, when they were being used for what they were built for ,except the the penguin enclosure held Coypus and the Macaque cage held Vultures. They missed the small lubetkin bear enclosure which was just further down from where the Black Lemurs are now, in fact you can just about see the remains of the footings. I never liked it ,even as a child I thought it was too small. I remember seeing Asiatic Bears in there. Thanks for posting this, I love zoo history.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Super interesting thank you! It's great to see what has been retained and how it is being used. A few of the spaces are just outside views now (the bird house for example), but a lot has been repurposed well. It was excellent to be able to go up on the tecton that held the bears and look around.
They have a really nice Tecton exhibition in the end of the shop, the separate part divided by glass, but never have it open any more as they use the area as storage / education space? A shame as it complements the blue signs around the site really well.
Dudley Zoo have announced the birth of four Bush dog pups to parents Dora and Twenké. The pups were born in August and have recently started to explore the outdoor enclosure.
Dudley Zoo | Dudley
Dudley Zoo | Dudley
Do any of you have a current bird species on display list please?
Does anyone know how long Dudley have had Bornean short-tailed Python (Python breitensteini)? They were on-display in the reptile house when I visited on Sunday, but I had no idea they were there beforehand, and they weren’t there on any previous visits.
Just googling it seems they were there in 2022. Dudley does sometimes move animals around though so may have been on and off show during that time.
3 Pieces of 2024 News Not Mentioned:
On August 5th, the zoo announced they named 2 of the penguins Jaws and Michael. On August 20th, the zoo announced the other 2 penguins' names, Atticus and Horlick.
37K views · 689 reactions | Thank you for all the name suggestions for ‘The Sleepies’ our two Humboldt penguin chicks. Our Bird Team are currently wading through them! But for now,... | By Dudley Zoo | Facebook
Dudley Zoo
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On November 26th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (0.2) Arctic foxes to Lakeland Wildlife Oasis in Cumbria.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
On November 28th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) Humboldt penguin named Flap hatched in April, though the penguin soon developed an infection causing her to stop moving and regained the ability within a month. The zoo also announced that a (0.1) Humboldt penguin (Flap's mother) passed away.
Dudley Zoo
The penguin who lost her waddle! - Dudley Zoo and Castle
On July 7th, the zoo announced that 9 domestic guinea pigs were born which are on exhibit.
Dudley Zoo
Dudley Zoo
On August 5th, the zoo announced they named 2 of the penguins Jaws and Michael. On August 20th, the zoo announced the other 2 penguins' names, Atticus and Horlick.
37K views · 689 reactions | Thank you for all the name suggestions for ‘The Sleepies’ our two Humboldt penguin chicks. Our Bird Team are currently wading through them! But for now,... | By Dudley Zoo | Facebook
Dudley Zoo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On November 26th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (0.2) Arctic foxes to Lakeland Wildlife Oasis in Cumbria.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
On November 28th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) Humboldt penguin named Flap hatched in April, though the penguin soon developed an infection causing her to stop moving and regained the ability within a month. The zoo also announced that a (0.1) Humboldt penguin (Flap's mother) passed away.
Dudley Zoo
The penguin who lost her waddle! - Dudley Zoo and Castle
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
The penguin is actually called Flop,a good story though
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
The four Bush Dog pups have been given names by visitors. They are called Diego, Pablo, Bruno and Carlos.They have all been micro chipped and they are all boys
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