SSLees
Well-Known Member
That's fair, focusing on a larger more endangered species of Zebra.
Did they say where their Grant's Zebra would be moving to in the future? Or is it too soon to ask? A collection that already has them, or one that doesn't?
Flamingo Land Flamingo Land 2024
- Thread starter DesertRhino150
- Start date
That's fair, focusing on a larger more endangered species of Zebra.
Did they say where their Grant's Zebra would be moving to in the future? Or is it too soon to ask? A collection that already has them, or one that doesn't?
well they said they will move on to pastures new
Charles
Well-Known Member
Flamingo Land baby hippo recovering after 'rocky' start
This article gives some information on the new calf, seems like it was a rocky start but this brings hope to a good life for the new baby
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
There have been plenty of hippo births in the UK since then, the last successful birth was when Lola and Hoover at Whipsnade had Hodor in July 2017. It is the first birth of a hippo at Flamingo Land (and only second ever) since 2003.
Seems it is being bottle fed and still seperated from the mother at present.
Well that is worth a party or 5! At last, a zoo that is intent on breeding common or Nile hippo and recognise that both this - threatened taxon - deserves as much effort in ex situ conservation breeding and education as does its rainforest parallel evolution sister taxon pygmy hippo.
Equally, I do hope that the Grant's zebra get moved on to a site and within a Coalition of zoos that is a Champion to preserve representative pure-bred zebra (sub-)species is zoos of the more regular plains and steppe zebra of the African savannahs and more steppe arid areas (mountain zebra).
Perhaps, you could enlighten us in that respect.
I personally view that a last birth you cite for 2017 is not exactly a regular breeding occurence. I would not mind a more statistical listing of common hippo in the UK and where its population development and breeding the species is concerned.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
I can't provide a statistical analysis like you request, but I can say Hodor's birth at Whipsnade was certainly not a statistical anomaly.
Whipsnade have a history of successful breeding that continues into the modern era, but are hampered in numbers by the fact for most of the past 20 years they have held a female pair and a geriatric. Until Lola's mother died (I believe her name was Nigna? Although I may be skipping a generation), there was insufficient space for a calf. It's telling that once she was euthanised, the breeding pair successfully bred. Hodor will remain with his mother for a few more years which prevents her from breeding again, hence why Hoover was moved. And within a few years of his move he's already fathered another calf.
West Midlands I believe have a non-breeding group, and from what I've heard it's not exactly a brilliant exhibit for a breeding group. Longleat has lost both their females, both of which have successfully bred when younger, and intend to replace them with a breeding pod. Flamingo Land needed a breeding bull, which they now have.
The issue with hippo breeding is not one of inadequate concern but more of a lack of male hippos and holders in general in the UK. If Whipsnade had managed to obtain a male earlier I'd imagine that they would have had a calf earlier, but you can't really say that for sure. They're large mammals, they require lots of space, have long gestations and require calves to stay with their mothers for years. I know for certain Whipsnade intends to breed again once Hodor is moved, and ultimately he will provide another bull to collections (even if it keeps the gene pool relatively narrow).
TL;DR: Common hippos breed well in our zoos and their holders intend to continue doing so, but there have been smorgasbord of issues that has slowed hippo production.
SSLees
Well-Known Member
West Midlands has a group of 4 females, all in their 20s (from what @Nile Hippo Expert told me a while back) But yes, the exhibit they're in right now is not ideal for breeding and just looks sadly very outdated.
But they with the wild dogs are having a new paddock with lodges built right behind them. Which from what I recall seeing when I last went, is going well and looking amazing.
So those females are in the right age to breed with, they just need their new exhibit made. And then a breeding male moved in with them
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear about West Midlands being upgraded, I look forward to seeing it.
If timelines line up, one would imagine Hodor goes there to breed and Hoover returns to Whipsnade as ZSL plans to be the case. But then that leaves Flamingo Land without a bull, and the country with only one genepool for bulls in general.
Maybe if Longleat obtains a group, another bull can be imported along with that group.
SSLees
Well-Known Member
I think in the future, importing a bull from somewhere like Europe is going to be needed to keep the genepool healthy.
Personally I think WMSP or Longleat would be better off importing a bull (and cows for Longleat) from Europe as WMSP is only missing a bull and Longleat had hippos until sadly this year with Spot's passing away. So they could either put them in Half Mile Lake again, or section off part of it to design a new hippo area.
At least from a genepool diversity point of view, those two I think are the better option for starting a new bloodline that isn't linked to other collections here.
SSLees
Well-Known Member
Yeah, as much I'd love to see hippos in with sea lions and beavers again. I don't think they'd have a chance of getting that pass by due to animal welfare. Not to mention with how infamously aggressive hippos can be
cerperal
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't be so sure. Hippos have been housed there alongside various groups of sea lions for 60-odd years and based on last Christmas' Animal Park that's still the intended place to house them again.
That said as we discussed after Spot's death in the Longleat thread there's six reasons to keep them there and half a dozen not to. Bottom line is Longleat want to keep common hippos, at the very least viewable from the boat, and that's a net positive for the species in the UK. To keep this somewhat on topic - it would certainly be good news for Flamingo Land, as they will eventually need a new bull and I would imagine importing a group - be it from Europe or even potentially excess animals from Africa - would be easier than arranging separate transfers with the EEP.
I do hope UK zoos (as well as those on the European Continent make a greater effort to secure sustainable populations of common Nile hippo in the BIAZA zoos.
Indeed "Nigna" was the mother of "Lola"; you are not skipping a generation.
("Nigna" was born in Madrid in 1978 and she died at Whipsnade aged thirty-eight.)
Piece of May 2024 News Not Mentioned:
On May 18th, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred (3.0) swamp wallabies to the Paignton Zoo in Devon*.
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On June 4th, the zoo announced that 2 capybaras were born on April 14th which are on exhibit.
Flamingo Land Resort
* Information provided by @TriUK on the Paignton Zoo News 2024 thread (Page 8 Post #142).
On May 18th, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred (3.0) swamp wallabies to the Paignton Zoo in Devon*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 4th, the zoo announced that 2 capybaras were born on April 14th which are on exhibit.
Flamingo Land Resort
* Information provided by @TriUK on the Paignton Zoo News 2024 thread (Page 8 Post #142).
