Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo news 2012 #1

Much as I like Gaur, it's going to be hard work keeping them going in Europe. Banteng would be easier. Both species would benefit from embryo or sperm transfers from outside EAZA, if someone would take the job on board.
 
johnstoni. said:
Do you think this means they've given up on acquiring gaur?
Click to expand...

Looks like it, 2 animals were sourced from Madrid a few years back, but this was in the midst of the pan European blue tongue outbreak and therefore, the attempt to import them was dropped along with a group of kulan from another collection.
 
Clipped from the zoo's facebook page.

There is going to be a nice surprise arriving at Edinburgh Zoo over the weekend. George 'Stores' and Richard from Hoofstock (not necessarily a clue!) are about to head off to mainland Europe to pick up some exciting new arrivals!

Personally i think it is the rockhoppers from Vienna, but who knows, well apart from zoo staff lol
 
kiang said:
Clipped from the zoo's facebook page.

There is going to be a nice surprise arriving at Edinburgh Zoo over the weekend. George 'Stores' and Richard from Hoofstock (not necessarily a clue!) are about to head off to mainland Europe to pick up some exciting new arrivals!

Personally i think it is the rockhoppers from Vienna, but who knows, well apart from zoo staff lol
Click to expand...

The rockhoppers from Vienna have already arrived so it's not them.
 
Yang Guang is showing similar symptoms of when he had colic. Tian Tian is fine, Yang Guang has been taken off-show and should be back on Monday. It's just a precaution apparently, as breeding season is coming up.
 
Maguari said:
And the answer is... as underwhelming as possible. Edinburgh clearly have a different idea of 'exciting' to the rest of us! :D

It's meerkats, seemingly from Cologne.


Ow.ly - image uploaded by @EdinburghZoo

https://twitter.com/#!/EdinburghZoo
Click to expand...

To the majority of people in the UK meerkats are probably more exciting than a banteng. I have no doubt that meerkats are big pulls for the general public. Zoos need to make money and I think it is a good move. They take up a small amount of room and lots of people like them. If zoos just brought animals in that pleased 'zoochatters' then they would quickly go out of business.
 
Mr T said:
To the majority of people in the UK meerkats are probably more exciting than a banteng. I have no doubt that meerkats are big pulls for the general public. Zoos need to make money and I think it is a good move. They take up a small amount of room and lots of people like them. If zoos just brought animals in that pleased 'zoochatters' then they would quickly go out of business.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know - I was being tongue-in-cheek - note the smiley face! :D

However, I still think they're slightly over-egging it for a species so widely kept. I suppose marketing requires this sort of thing.

I also think that Slender Mongoose or Gambian Mongoose could be just as exciting for the public, just haven't been in a slightly twee documentary or an insurance price comparison advert. Which seems rather unfair. But such is life!
 
Mr T said:
Zoos need to make money and I think it is a good move. They take up a small amount of room and lots of people like them. If zoos just brought animals in that pleased 'zoochatters' then they would quickly go out of business.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Most Zoochatters are well aware of that too and this is just a bit of Zoochat humour in so much as some people were hoping for something more unusual.

I'm actually surprised at any Zoo- such as Edinburgh up until now- that hasn't jumped on the Meerkat bandwagon yet, given their current(fresh) wave of popularity and easy availability.
 
Maguari said:
I also think that Slender Mongoose or Gambian Mongoose could be just as exciting for the public, just haven't been in a slightly twee documentary or an insurance price comparison advert.
Click to expand...

That indeed is the secret of success.;)
 
Maguari said:
Yes, I know - I was being tongue-in-cheek - note the smiley face! :D

However, I still think they're slightly over-egging it for a species so widely kept. I suppose marketing requires this sort of thing.

I also think that Slender Mongoose or Gambian Mongoose could be just as exciting for the public, just haven't been in a slightly twee documentary or an insurance price comparison advert. Which seems rather unfair. But such is life!
Click to expand...

I agree. They are needed, but too many UK zoos seem to let their Marketing Departments over-run their remit. We are in danger of letting our zoos turn into a series of sumptuous exhibits for charismatic megafauna, interspersed with walk though callitrichid, squirrel monkey or lemur exhibits, Meerkats, short-clawed otters and not too much more.

As any parent knows, it is very possible to have too much of a good thing.
 
Pertinax said:
Absolutely. Most Zoochatters are well aware of that too and this is just a bit of Zoochat humour in so much as some people were hoping for something more unusual.

I'm actually surprised at any Zoo- such as Edinburgh up until now- that hasn't jumped on the Meerkat bandwagon yet, given their current(fresh) wave of popularity and easy availability.
Click to expand...

But didn't Edinburgh have meerkats up till a few years ago?, housed in a very good new enclosure next to the Asian short clawed otters, was not the reason for them being removed from the collection being that everyone had them?, sound to me like a case of "returning by popular demand!".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top