Jambi
Well-Known Member
I had to look up what a cuscus was, it's a species I've never seen before, so I hope it goes on show soon. It would be nice to see one for the first time.
Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2022
- Thread starter Keelan
- Start date
It's been at the collection and onshow for a decade now, they've merely moved it offshow recently
Jambi
Well-Known Member
Really? I've never once noticed them. Perhaps it was a case of each time I go they're not visible and I just go "Hmm, nothing there, what else do we have?" and forget about it.It's been at the collection and onshow for a decade now, they've merely moved it offshow recently
Really? I've never once noticed them. Perhaps it was a case of each time I go they're not visible and I just go "Hmm, nothing there, what else do we have?" and forget about it.
As far as I know they've been in Monkey Forest continuously since 2012 - definitely were still labelled at the time of my last visit in October 2021, though I did not see them.
I don't remember seeing Cuscus labelled or on show in the Magic Forest at any point during my visits over the last ten years.
This inventory shows the current animal arrived during 2018, but I don't think he's ever been on show:
https://www.rzss.org.uk/media/7110/invent18ez.pdf
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I'll have to root out my exhibit shots
but here's a photo I took in 2012:Ground Cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) at Edinburgh Zoo - 9th January 2012 - ZooChat
According to my records I last saw the species at Edinburgh on Oct 25 2019.
The animal you refer to which arrived in 2018 may or may not be the current animal, as one individual died at Edinburgh in 2018 too, and I don't know offhand whether it was the new arrival or the animal from RSCC in my photo above.
One of my friendly contacts with ZIMS has clarified this point for me, along with timeline of the species presence at Edinburgh:
"Only ever had three - 1.1 came from RSCC to Edinburgh in 2010. The female was sent to Artis in 2012 and the male died in March 2018, and they received a replacement male from Blackpool in June 2018. The Blackpool individual is still at the zoo"
So there was a 3-month gap during which time the species was absent, but otherwise they've literally had Ground Cuscus at Edinburgh for ages
on phone right now but as noted I'll root out further photos as soon as possible.
A few updates from my visit today:
- A new tarmac footpath has been laid from the old Camel house going up the hill, thus avoiding the need for visitors to walk on the road as they ascend/descend this side of the zoo, it's still cordoned off so it must have only been done very recently.
- Wee Beasties has reopened as has already been mentioned, the species on show today were; Jungle Nymph; Blue Poison Dart Frog; Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog; Green Mantella; Corn Snake; Milk Snake; Sun Beetle; Chilean Rose Tarantula; Giant African Land Snail; Partula Snail; Pancake Tortoise; Taiwan Beauty Snake; Henkel's Leaf Tailed Gecko; Land Hermit Crab.
- One of the aviaries behind the Indian Rhino now holds the following species: Red-Whiskered Bulbul; Chestnut Backed Thrush; Mindanao Bleeding Heart Dove; Pied Imperial Pigeon; White-Naped Pheasant Pigeon. These were all previously on show in Brilliant Birds, which is now the Sloth and Armadillo house. The other aviary behind the Indian Rhino still holds Red Fronted Macaw.
- Only 3 species left in the Monkey House, and only 2 visible from the outside; Yellow Breasted Capuchin Monkey and Diana Monkey. Drills are still offshow.
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I know the drills are offshow but they are still in the monkey house right?
Yes they are, apologies, I have corrected my original post.
So would I!
It seems almost like bombs gone off in the Monkey House. So much no longer there! What is next?
Hopefully the plan is to pull it down and replace it with something more modern. If the plan is to move the sun bears into the old panda quarters, I'd love to see it transformed into a binturong enclosure (replacing the old drill area) and new bird aviaries.
Jambi
Well-Known Member
So the chameleons and fish tank are gone? What a shame, but even so there's a couple of species you listed that I've never seen before, so I'll have to get back up to Edinburgh soon to see those. It's also good to hear that the Brilliant Birds species aren't completely gone. I can't remember what, if anything, was in the aviary you're talking about last time I was there. I think it may have just been empty.
Which species of Partula was onshow? I didn't think they had any onshow.
Do you know how many Drills they currently have?
scrapula
Member
There is still a Marine fish tank in Wee Beasties although I don’t have a list of the exact species in the tank
Jambi
Well-Known Member
As long as it's still there that's the main thing. Thanks very much!
As of last July they had 3.
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
They weren’t there in the magic forest in October, there were cloud rats but there definitely wasn’t cuscus