Empty enclosures

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I don't think that there were ever enclosures beside that section of the canal as the ground is quite steep and there are some mature trees there. I have checked a couple of maps back to 1905 and nothing is shown.

Ah I see, I sort of assumed that at the London Zoo there would have been enclosures on all of the space that was available back in the 19th and early 20th century but that is probably a misconception of mine because I sort of imagine it being crammed full of every species imaginable.

 

[Pertinax]

Im looking forward with some trepidation as to how the “new” Snowden and Whipsnade’s sealion exhibit turn out.

I've read a suggestion the Whipsnade Dolphin/Sealion pool may be demolished. Was it in the recent T.V documentary? Any truth in this?

 

[rhinofan12]

I've read a suggestion the Whipsnade Dolphin/Sealion pool may be demolished. Was it in the recent T.V documentary? Any truth in this?

I believe it is having a small makeover with a new species replacing the sealions. Most people think it will be penguins going in but nothing confirmed.

 

[Tim May]

On the subject of ZSL, they have repurposed that area (I suppose it was once used for enclosures) just off from the Clore Pavilion alongside the side of the canal as a mini nature area for native biodiversity and it is quite well done IMO.

I don't think that there were ever enclosures beside that section of the canal as the ground is quite steep and there are some mature trees there. I have checked a couple of maps back to 1905 and nothing is shown.

There have never been any substantial buildings on the canal bank below the Clore Pavilion but there were enclosures there. The book A Walk Through the Zoological Gardens (F. G. Aflalo; 1900) records that the sloping banks of the canal by the Elephant House (then roughly where the Clore Pavilion now is) had enclosures for moose and reindeer.

 

[Panthera1981]

I believe it is having a small makeover with a new species replacing the sealions. Most people think it will be penguins going in but nothing confirmed.

Considering the area is surrounded by a large play area, railway station and amphitheatre, wouldn’t it be advisable to house something that’s not highly strung? I really do hope that, despite outside factors, the zoo hit a home run with this. The opportunity won’t present itself again.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

There have never been any substantial buildings on the canal bank below the Clore Pavilion but there were enclosures there. The book A Walk Through the Zoological Gardens (F. G. Aflalo; 1900) records that the sloping banks of the canal by the Elephant House (then roughly where the Clore Pavilion now is) had enclosures for moose and reindeer.

Hard to imagine large ungulates like moose and reindeer being in that relatively small area, thankfully they are no longer.

 

[Mark Kent]

Hard to imagine large ungulates like moose and reindeer being in that relatively small area, thankfully they are no longer.

From a quick check - of Afalo, the 1907 guidebook and that valuable resource "London Zoo from old photographs" by John Edwards - I think that the moose/reindeer yard was to the west of West Footbridge (built 1960/61). This site is, I think, now the easterly section of the African Wild Dog enclosure.

I think the site of the southerly end of the West Footbridge was from 1903 until it was destroyed in WWII the location of the Canal Bank aviary.

Further east, where the staff flats are now, was for many years the site labelled in 1905 as "outdoors cages". The guide for that year states that the structure:

"completed in 1904, and is simply a very large Cage constructed of wire netting on a framework with concrete foundation. It contains rock-work and branches of trees, and is constructed so as to be suitable for any hardy Mammal. At prtresent it contains two Pumas and a Lynx."

The remainder of the south bank of the canal does not seem to have been otherwise used.

The north bank has the North (Snowdon) Aviary, and in the past enclosures for cranes and geese, brush turkeys and an apiary.

 

[gentle lemur]

There may be perfectly good reasons to leave an enclosure empty for a period, even for quite a long period: but I believe that visitors should always be informed of those reasons. Visitors deserve, and will accept, sensible explanations . . . . . . I think the Whipsnade example is worse because the big illustrated signs were still beside the path, so I could see parties turning off to walk up to the side of the pool. I didn't follow them, so I don't know if they saw a sign there saying that the sea lions had gone, but they were looking around for a minute or two before moving off. Of course some people will have watched the ITV programmes which featured the sea lion keeper's preparations for their departure, but some will not. Whey were those signs not taken down or covered up as soon as the animals left?

I must correct my own post here. I was quite wrong about the sea lions at Whipsnade - they are still at the zoo, although they are due to leave soon. I should have looked for myself.
I apologise to everyone who read my post and to ZSL.