What is the small animal on the map below the wolves? It looks a lot like an echidna (obviously not). I can't really remember, but I think it might have been raccoons?
Yes, it is a Raccoon...with Striped Skunks also found there.
What is the small animal on the map below the wolves? It looks a lot like an echidna (obviously not). I can't really remember, but I think it might have been raccoons?
Apparently, another female.Good news from GaiaZoo today.
A pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis) calf was born at GaiaZoo in the night of March 31st. Gender as of yet unknown. A livestream in the pygmy hippopotamus stable will be shared later today. The calf will not go outside until it has learned to swim in the shallower indoor pool.
Source: GaiaZoo Facebook post with pictures
And also, on that day, Gaiazoo is exactly 15 years old!Gaiazoo will open again on June 1st, off-course with restrictions in place.
Belonging to which subspecies?
Belonging to which subspecies?
I am glad they replaced the Canadian beaver for the more fitting European species. That way they can draw attention to and support the reintroduction and reestablishment of the species in our home country.I visited Gaiazoo again after seven years this week. I was impressed by all the new developments (in 7 years time about 1/4-1/3 of the park got a make-over). With the addition of multiple aviaries and the Limburghuis (local small rodents, amphibians, fish) the zoo is getting a better more-rounded collection. All the additions were of a high level and fit in well with the original zoo. A lot of things in this zoo are done in a simple, but attractive way and it would be a good zoo to visit for zoo designers on a budget. The original zoo (opened in 2005) cost roughly 20 million euros and I can't imagine much more than that amount was spent on developments in the 15 years since.
Some notes:
- Over 50 Greater Flamingo chicks have been born already and there are many still on the nest. On first sight it is hard to believe that they have 400+ birds there, but when you start counting them it is easy to see how quickly flamingoes disappear in the flock.
- The last Canadian Beaver has left the zoo and will be replaced by European Beavers.
- The African Wild Dogs were fed a whole Forest Reindeer (no head though), which was a great sight with very active dogs early on the day and a stripped carcass and lazy dogs later on.
I am curious how this zoo will develop in the future, there are only four possible locations for new small enclosures, but I think there was at least a possibility for extending the zoo a bit further. As it is now there are still a number of crowd-pleasers missing.
I do not carry nationalist sentiments (or resentments) for the N.American species Canadian beaver, I just honestly belief the interests of animal and ecosystem conservation, public awareness nature connections as well as captive-breeding programs are best served if and when Canadian beavers have the attention of AZA/ZAA accredited zoos and that the European beaver is the focus of EEP/EAZA + EARAZA programs.I am glad they replaced the Canadian beaver for the more fitting European species. That way they can draw attention to and support the reintroduction and reestablishment of the species in our home country.
This apart from all the potential hybridisation with Canadians.