Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2020

[ShonenJake13]

I think the giraffes will suffice for crowd-pullers rather than bringing in white tigers, animals with absolutely no conservation value, never mind the fact that they already have a pair of tigers in the park.

Honestly if I were to ‘replace’ the pandas with anything ‘crowd-pulling’, I think with just a couple adjustments, their existing habitat wouldn’t be adverse to a couple of gorillas (Though it might suffer in comparison to Budongo)

Why not use their enclosure for another bear? It’s not like they already have a species of bear that is just as threatened, a similar size and in dire need of an enclosure upgrade but all jokes aside, I think if they seriously want to get sun bear cubs the panda enclosure should be turned over to them the minute the pandas depart for China

 

[Andrew Swales]

I think the giraffes will suffice for crowd-pullers rather than bringing in white tigers, animals with absolutely no conservation value, never mind the fact that they already have a pair of tigers in the park.

Crowd Pulling was the comment I replied to, not conservation value.
Others above said that Edinburgh was now 'known' for the Pandas, and their departure would be missed - but, if the Giraffes will be 'good enough' then they have nothing to worry about.

 

[Dylan]

If I was in charge of the collection, I'd move the sun bears to the old panda enclosure after some renovation, add some aviaries to the walkway between it and the penguins (currently a 'bamboo farm' and add some more Asian birds in a 'Silent forest' themed row. Then turn the curret sun bears into an enclosure for diana monkey. Then convert the current panda area into an mini-section including goral, red panda, ASCO and some new species (maybe a few herps and fish). That would free up some room for other animals or even some conservation work

But this is all wishful thinking as, alas I am not in charge of the collection

 

[Scottish Wildcat]

I really like thinking about how the pandas leaving will affect the other exhibits, because it sends you down in a whole cascade of what would go in the empty exhibits if you shuffle them around. If you put the sun bears in the current panda enclosure, then what goes in the current sun bear enclosure? What about the original panda enclosure (Did someone a few pages back mention sloth bears or was that complete speculation? Might have been on facebook)? If you're moving already existing species from the collection into these vacant enclosures, what do you fill in to replace them? It's a fun exercise to send yourself down

(But in reality I think we all know they would just leave one or more of them empty)

 

[TeaLovingDave]

(But in reality I think we all know they would just leave one or more of them empty)

See, for instance, the fact that the original giant panda exhibit is still sitting empty and blocked off from access 18 months on......

 

[Dianamonkey]

Giraffe update
Edinburgh Zoo bosses still planning for the return of gentle giant giraffes

 

[Embu]

Giraffe update
Edinburgh Zoo bosses still planning for the return of gentle giant giraffes

Bachelor herd sourced from "another UK attraction" this might refer to Chester? Either way fantastic news and very exciting

 

[The Hedgehog]

Giraffe update
Edinburgh Zoo bosses still planning for the return of gentle giant giraffes

Can someone please guess where these Giraffes are coming from within the UK,and what species/sub-species they will be??

 

[JT]

Can someone please guess where these Giraffes are coming from within the UK,and what species/sub-species they will be??

YWP have an all male herd of 4, there’s a possibility they’d be wanting to move that 4 on and go in to breeding giraffes, I think there’s a few different species and one hybrid.

 

[Quincey]

Can someone please guess where these Giraffes are coming from within the UK,and what species/sub-species they will be??

They will be Rothschild's Giraffe, and most likely the initial animals will come from Chester. I can't help being a little disappointed as originally Edinburgh was offered and accepted 1:2 breeding animals. This original move was cancelled due to the first lockdown with the animals involved being offered to alternative collections.

 

[Andrew Swales]

They will be Rothschild's Giraffe, and most likely the initial animals will come from Chester. I can't help being a little disappointed as originally Edinburgh was offered and accepted 1:2 breeding animals. This original move was cancelled due to the first lockdown with the animals involved being offered to alternative collections.

They were indeed very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to go straight into a breeding group, as other collections are required to take bachelor groups first...

 

[kiang]

They were indeed very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to go straight into a breeding group, as other collections are required to take bachelor groups first...

Maybe not fortunate, they have successfully kept and bred Rothschild's giraffe in the not too distant past.
The experience is there on the ground at the zoo.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Maybe not fortunate, they have successfully kept and bred Rothschild's giraffe in the not too distant past.
The experience is there on the ground at the zoo.

Presumably if staff and facilities are in place then that is the reason; although looking at the guidelines, the accommodation required for breeding groups and bachelor groups is quite different; and some major works would be required to change in either direction..