Are you serious? 'Dangerous animals' have killed several keepers and can endanger visitors. Many species of animals aren't dangerous but need conservation and could be part of reintroduction programmes. If Jersey doesn't have keepers who can look after big cats, it shouldn't keep big cats
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell news
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Strathmorezoo
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I didn't say that they should, I was merely pointing out that if you want to keep dangerous animals (which even some birds and small primates can be regarded as dangerous)that they should be housed appropriately, which would include having trained staff
Surely zoos have the right not to keep dangerous animals if they don't want to
Jersey is a small zoo. If it had suitably sized enclosures for lions and/or tigers, they would take up a big percentage of the zoo. According to Zootierliste, Jersey had 'no subspecies' lions from 1959-1972 and Asiatic lions from 1972-1980. It also had some more rarely seen species of carnivores and I would prefer the zoo to look at those species, rather than lions and tigers that are kept at many zoos in the UK and associated domains
Fair point well made. Have they ever housed Tasmanian Devils? There aren't many UK zoos with them and it would be a good USP, and fulfil both criteria of a crowd puller and an obscurity
Strathmorezoo
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Having worked in a zoo and with exotics most of my adult life, taking "dangerous animals ",in my opinion from zoos wouldn't leave you with much choice. All keepers, on all sections are very aware of the potential danger of the animals that they are working with
Zootierliste doesn't list Tasmanian devils being kept at Jersey
Fair enough. I know they can be a bit marmite but I'd love to see one.
Jersey does have some 'dangerous animals', such as poison dark frogs, geladas, gorillas and orang-utans but also has staff that can look after them properly.
I 100% agree with this.
Tasmanian devil fans may be interested in this book: Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal by Pemberton, David: Very Good Hardback (2005) | WorldofBooks. I borrowed it from the Barbican library several years ago
I suspect the chances of them getting involved with that species are very low; as a general rule DWCT like to be the ones in control, and if they wanted Tassie Devil they would have to jump to a tune played by Copenhagen - and through them, the Australian authorities.
I know that a pair of young Indian gharials being kept in Switzerland (at Aquatis Lausanne) at the moment are being planned for Jersey Zoo in around 2027 - I assume they will be part of the upcoming new reptile house. They would definitely fit the remit of being a highly threatened but also big and charismatic species, and one that I believe Jersey has kept before.
According to Zootierliste, Jersey kept gharials from 1959-1962. If Jersy gets gharials, I hope it promot6es them as much as Prague Zoo did
A bit of realism here. Jersey has a population of 100.000 people. In Durrell's time Jersey was a thriving holiday destination for English families, this market has largely disappeared. I don't know what Jersey Zoo's current visitation is, but given those figures, in any other zoo in any other part of the world, they would be lucky to get 40,000 to 50,000 visitors a year.
I'm quite sure if Jersey Zoo were to obtain tigers, they would be housed adequately and safely. However the reality is big cats are expensive to keep. The battle for Jersey Zoo administrators' is to maintain a collection that engages and maximizes visitation and does not exceed what must be a limited budget.
I'm quite sure if Jersey Zoo were to obtain tigers, they would be housed adequately and safely. However the reality is big cats are expensive to keep. The battle for Jersey Zoo administrators' is to maintain a collection that engages and maximizes visitation and does not exceed what must be a limited budget.
Given their position, this is an exceptional result, and shows the strength of the Durrell name. Mind you, there are not a lot of attractions as such on the Island.
Still, 200,000 visitors is not a huge number and shows the position they are in financially.
There have been a couple of 'near escapes'....believe if you will but I think both true. When Jambo was first let out into the (then) new, 'Brian Parke gorilla complex'- which later became the Chough/Bat aviary, he climbed the frame and jumped onto the perimeter wall, fortunately he jumped back in, not out. The height of the climbing frame was immediately reduced by half- I often wondered why it was so low -until I knew this.
Then much later in the current house I think it may have been the next silverback Ya Kwanza... he somehow got onto the roof of the house...again fortunately not jumping down the public side.
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