GaiaZOO Kerkrade GaiaPark Kerkrade Zoo

I spent more then 2 weeks as a camp counselor camping in Gaia zoo. And the aviary mix went very well I never saw any aggression. There were clear divisions with the animals having more set spots but I saw every species interact at one point without clear aggression.
 
Some updates from my visit on July 18th, 2023:
  • Fairly recently a Przewalski's horse foal and a European forest reindeer calf were born.
  • I heard a volunteer in the Taiga aviary viewing area mentioning that a waldrapp was born, but that it unfortunately died as a fledgling from flying into something.
  • The European beavers are temporarily off-show due to an introduction being conducted behind the scenes.
  • The bat-eared foxes had several pups.
  • The red river hogs have been temporarily moved from their previous exhibit, which is to be added to the bongo paddock during a renovation before the zoo receives bongo again, to the white rhinoceros paddock. They will be housed there as a more long-term solution is under consideration.
    I however saw the red river hogs in the savanna exhibit separation paddock, with a keeper trying to shift them between this area and the rhinoceros paddock via the passage underneath the visitor walkway. So either the introduction is still ongoing or perhaps the red river hogs go to the savanna stable building at night.
    In the white rhinoceros paddock an area for the red river hogs was demarcated with large dug up tree stumps underneath the trees adjacent to the exhibit.
  • The queen of the leaf cutter ant colony died some time ago, and without her the colony could not survive. The exhibit is being prepared for a new queen and colony.
  • The Darwin's rheas and vicuñas were separated, the gate between the pampas exhibit and the tapir exhibit was also closed.
  • A number of monk parakeets were moved to the aviary near the Pampas lodge as the group in the alien species aviary was getting too large.
  • The white-faced sakis had a baby, and at least one squirrel monkey was also born.
I will post some pictures of some of the main updates (mostly the construction work) I could see in the gallery as soon possible, the other images from my visit will be processed uploaded at a later date (not in the nearby future, probably).
 
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On a Dutch zoos Facebook page, a photo was posted of a sign about the wolves that I seem to have missed during my recent visit, or was added since. Currently two old male wolves remain at GaiaZoo. If one of them dies, the other one will be euthanized for welfare reasons. After the death of the two current wolves the exhibit will be renovated to house Iberian wolves, a more threatened wolf subspecies than the Eurasian grey wolf and a subspecies GaiaZoo previously housed in their early years (in the area that is now the alien species aviary and the raccoon/skunk exhibit).

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=333871272308695&set=a.181990770830080
 
I'm sorry, so for the welfare of the other wolf, it will be euthanized? I'm clearly no expert, but could someone explain to me why that would be the option to go to? Would it be that impossible for the other one to be living on his own? Because they are pack animals?
 
Moorhunhe said:
I'm sorry, so for the welfare of the other wolf, it will be euthanized? I'm clearly no expert, but could someone explain to me why that would be the option to go to? Would it be that impossible for the other one to be living on his own? Because they are pack animals?
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I have heard it before with social animals or animals that have spent (most of) their lives together and are both elderly and/or declining in health. GaiaZoo also euthanized their elderly cheetah brothers on the same day a few years ago.

I think it might be because the loss of a long-term companion might hasten the health decline of an elderly animal. The two remaining wolves are 16 years old, so they are getting close to the ends of their lives anyway.
 
KevinB said:
I have heard it before with social animals or animals that have spent (most of) their lives together and are both elderly and/or declining in health. GaiaZoo also euthanized their elderly cheetah brothers on the same day a few years ago.

I think it might be because the loss of a long-term companion might hasten the health decline of an elderly animal. The two remaining wolves are 16 years old, so they are getting close to the ends of their lives anyway.
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Yeah, and I guess I get that when looking it that way. It just sounds a little, I don't know ... if the animal is still healthy, weird.
Surely they know what they are doing, in no way I want to go against that, but that's just my 2 cents on it I suppose.
 
GaiaZOO has an annual brochure for season ticket holders containing developments for the following year. Now I am not a subscription holder myself but the news has been shared on a zoo forum and Facebook group (some of it was already known):

- From next week, the bush dogs, black howler monkeys and pied tamarins will be on display in their new enclosures.
- In 2024, work will continue on renewing the Rainforest area: Bongos will return. The Bongos will have the area of the red river hogs added, making their enclosure larger.
- The red river hogs will leave the collection, but Kirk's dik-dik's will come in return.
- The pygmy hippos' underwater viewing area will disappear. The adjacent terrace will be raised at the current location of underwater viewing point. This will allow you to watch the pygmy hippos from the terrace.
- A number of species will be added to the collection next year: blue-throated macaw, Ecuadorian red-lored amazon, Bali myna, sun parakeet and the mhorr gazelle.
 
The Limburg | Aviary is set to be in use right after new years, housing North Eurasian ravens, Black storks and Eurasian eagle-owls. This aviary is placed right next to the entrance and is quite large (25x8x10 meters).

The aviary will have a varied environment, with a waterfall and a pond for the black stork, as well as a rocky hill in the back and a variety of native tree species like Scot's pines, Oaks and Beech trees.

The new area in the Amazonia region of Rainforest will be called Pantanal, and will house Pied tamarins, Black howler monkeys, Bush dogs, Red-faced spider monkeys and Lowland tapirs. The Tapirs and Spider monkey enclosures will remain unchanged. The Bush dogs will get a lot more space than they previously had and GaiaZOO hopes to get a much larger group of these animals.

Link to Facebook video (in Dutch, but it does include some nice footage of the new areas)
 
Mr Gharial said:
The Limburg | Aviary is set to be in use right after new years, housing North Eurasian ravens, Black storks and Eurasian eagle-owls. This aviary is placed right next to the entrance and is quite large (25x8x10 meters).

The aviary will have a varied environment, with a waterfall and a pond for the black stork, as well as a rocky hill in the back and a variety of native tree species like Scot's pines, Oaks and Beech trees.

The new area in the Amazonia region of Rainforest will be called Pantanal, and will house Pied tamarins, Black howler monkeys, Bush dogs, Red-faced spider monkeys and Lowland tapirs. The Tapirs and Spider monkey enclosures will remain unchanged. The Bush dogs will get a lot more space than they previously had and GaiaZOO hopes to get a much larger group of these animals.

Link to Facebook video (in Dutch, but it does include some nice footage of the new areas)
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More footage of the new part of the Amazonia area.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1568323590612949
 
A large number of the flamingo colony at GaiaZOO have moved to the private holder they originally came from. In 2019, a group of around 400 birds from that private holder came to GaiaZOO temporarily. Meanwhile, that private holder has built its own aviary, allowing the birds to return. Last year, a large part of his flamingos were already moved there, and this year the rest of his flamingos moved back.

Part of that group and its offspring will remain in GaiaZOO. Flamingos from various zoos, including Burgers' Zoo, have also moved to GaiaZOO. The flamingo colony now consists of about 160 birds.

Source: GaiaZOO newsletter

 
Starting Monday April 15th, GaiaZoo will start renovations on the former wolf valley, the alien species aviary and the boardwalk near the Crow's Nest education room (the area on top of the former gift shop). The route in the Taiga area will change. These renovations will take all year and are part of a new development for 2025, when GaiaZoo celebrates its 20th anniversary. The former wolf valley and the former owl aviary will get a whole new purpose, which will be unique for the Netherlands.

In onderhoud / gesloten - GaiaZOO
 
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