Gembira Loka Zoo Gembira Loka Zoo
- Thread starter Peter Dickinson
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Jonathan Harry
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Mossman Joe
Well-Known Member
If I may ask, which area did you find these banners in? Were they in Jogja?
Considering what timeframe these additions were set to be finished (COVID season), I'm not surprised that these projects were mostly shelved, though hopefully with the success of the recently finished Zona Cakar, they have the motivation to resume some of their original plans and renovate the more outdated parts of the zoo.
I would be very excited if African Wild Dogs did come to Gembira Loka (my personal favorite canid species), though I wonder if GLZ does have enough space to house a pack.
The other shelved additions are somewhat more feasible to pick up in the future, Giraffes being sourcable from a variety of Indonesian zoos, Pygmy Marmosets being sourcable from BSZ, and a Jaguar from the same South African supplier that provided BSZ with their newest specimen. Red Foxes could be a challenge to keep with Jogja's hot climate, but I'm sure there are suppliers out there.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Seems like very early plans, no? I don't even aware that they have that signage, the one plastered across the zoo and some banners in Yogyakarta always promote the lion, leopard, and hyena. I would guess they're very early plans, and those no longer used banners are simply used for other things, like some random construction project it seems like in your photo.
Like @Mossman Joe said, Covid-19 definitely impacted their projects financially. Gembira Loka does projects a lot it seems like since 2010, with the Reptile & Amphibian Park, then the Bird Zone, and in 2016, the first phased of the Carnivora Zone. I really like the slow approach from them, improving the zoo to a modern standard gradually but eventually. My concern is a lack of space, since Gembira Loka Zoo is a small zoo, and cutting down their city forest wouldn't be a good look. There's already a lot of animals with limited exhibit sizes in Gembira Loka. A lot of their space in the main zoo are used for the artificial lake.
Though, I'm still curious where did you find that first photo with the African wild dog from? Are those recent photo or a while ago?
The "coming soon" & early Primate Zone photos are obviously years ago.
I agree with your view. There's certainly a lot of things that need to be fixed in Gembira Loka, though again, the limited space of the zoo might hinder any maximal results.
African wild dogs are certainly very interesting, but with said lack of space, I wouldn't imagine that we'll be seeing a larger pack seen in foreign zoos. With how they acquire stuffs, Gembira Loka Zoo seems to have very good connections, similar to Batu Secret Zoo. Their marmosets came from the United States, they reportedly have very good connections with SEAZA facilities, and they have imported a lot of stuffs directly from Africa in the past (Reports are from Tunisia and Tanzania). I'm pretty sure they would somehow be able to get in contact with other foreign zoos or suppliers to get these animals rather easily. With the red fox, though they have entered the Indonesian market quite recently, I'd imagine they're exclusive for the the mammal presentation. Yogyakarta is a very sunny city, so you can imagine the temperature during the day especially in Gembira Loka with their rather lack of shading and even trees (Except in the city forest, of course). I guess that's the reason why their raccoon are off-display
In 2014, Gembira Loka apparently was offered some giraffes from an unnamed SEA zoos, due to said zoo massive surplus. Gembira Loka didn't take this offer due to lack of space, though since the giraffes are reportedly planned to the currently-canned "Savannah Zone", I'd imagine they come eventually, but unfortunately rather later in the future.
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Jonathan Harry
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Talking about the Gembira Loka Protection Forest which once received the Adipura award, coincidentally yesterday I went inside and apart from finding a nursery area, it turned out that there was barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Sumatran laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor) and knobbed hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix). I actually wanted to show the photos, but it's better not to do, so that it preserves the privacy of the zoo itself. I asked the keeper there that indeed this protection forest is only for research purposes for students or researchers, and usually must be accompanied by a guide to go there.
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
For the Savannah Zone to be realized, it's actually a bit wicked if I think about it. So we have to wait for Gombloh the hippopotamus to pass away, supported by the fact that the dromedary camel is no longer there (just an update for this Eid Al-Fitr). It would be better if the background enclosure were made into a kind of fortress modeled after a West African mosque (similar to the lion enclosure at Taman Safari Bogor) to maintain privacy from the traffic environment outside. And the hippopotamus enclosure will be combined so that the giraffes can drink or interact from there (since there are stone amphitheater chairs around the hippopotamus enclosure). In addition, the joglo house next to the camel enclosure can be evicted and used to expand the enclosure so that the area for the giraffes is not cramped.
Raikou
Well-Known Member
Will the Sunda clouded leopard appear again?
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
It is also true that the red fox will only appear in the mammal presentation, like the Javan mongoose. I remember the old enclosure that was usually for lions and sun bears (formerly Sumatran tigers), maybe later it will be revitalized for African painted dogs, if not for black jaguars.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
I'm aware that they have the muntjacs off-display and the laughingthrush is on-display too, but no idea about the knobbed hornbill. I didn't know that the forest are also used for off-display holdings as well!
Aside from students or researchers, how do you get access to get inside? Do you contact them beforehand or you just ask the staff while you're there?
So you went to Gembira Loka recently? Would be pleased to hear any updates from what you saw
Gombloh is very old, his arrival from Surabaya Zoo was all the way back in 1978! He's already quite large even back then. He seems super active despite his age, moving him back to Surabaya or giving him away to other zoos. Gombloh is actually my favorite animal to see at the zoo, but the exhibit and his living condition already way past their prime.
To be honest, I kinda figured it out a bit myself that the "Savannah Zone" most likely going to end up to be in the unofficial herbivore zone in the eastern half of the zoo, since that's kinda make sense with the space left and all that. I'd love to see an African savannah exhibit in Yogyakarta with giraffes and co. (No need to go to Bandung or Solo!), but I wonder where the other animals there will go, aside from the Ankole-Watusi and ostriches since they're most likely staying.
How did you know that? Was the fox appears there or are you informed by the staff?
You're correct with the pit, they used to house the African lions from Batu Secret Zoo and the sun bears. Those are very old designs, and would be odd in my opinion for jaguars, I wonder if they have plans to upgrade it.
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
I don't know. Considering that the enclosures for caracal, serval, and fishing cat are quite large, it's a bit difficult to find out where the clouded leopard will be placed. Unless each cage of the three animals is divided into two, so that it can accommodate the clouded leopard as well as bring in the marbled cat and Asian golden cat, which is part of Gembira Loka Zoo's collection before the bird park was built.
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
Yes, I did go in there and was allowed by the keeper. But only in the nursery area, and not going too far into the forest area.
Jonathan Harry
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Of course not, I just think the same as your previous guess.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
No mention of the single male so far, despite the hyenas already moving out to a new exhibit. I hope he did return on-display again, it doesn't seems like he had perished in my opinion.
@Jonathan Harry, that three cat glassed row did have an clouded leopard in the past, it was in the last exhibit that once housed the spotted hyena before moving to Zona Cakar III.
The cat exhibit, especially the one previously for the hyenas, was a bit larger than the one for the fishing cat and serval. For the other previous cats, I heard the Asian golden cat being mentioned before, no idea about the marbled cat though, when did it was kept and where did they get the cat(s)?
Though judging by Jonathan's comment, it does seems like it was replaced by an caracal instead?
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Rizz Carlton
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No, I mean how did you contact the staff for permission? Do you call them before your visit or did you just request for a tour directly when you're there?
No need to say it being "true" then
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
Just ask if you can go in there or not.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Despite my personal year-long hope that we will be seeing the Sunda clouded leopard again eventually, it appears the species won't be returning anytime soon.
His former exhibit, which was taken over by the hyenas for most of 2024, are now housing a pair of caracal. There's no information on the male leopard whereabouts, though there's possibility of the individual being sick or too lethargic to be put on-display again.
The male Sunda clouded leopard first arrived at the zoo in 2012. He arrived rather unannounced and was unexpected by the zoo. The truck carrying the leopard was from Muntilan in Central Java. The driver reported that the cat was given away by his boss, the previous owner, who afraid of being caught in an illegal wildlife trafficking allegation. Despite the stigma of keeping formerly illegaly-kept animal, the leopard remained at the zoo since the management have no clue where to sent it, with back then having no further reply after informing the BKSDA (Indonesian wildlife protection agency).
After some years and adapting to crowd of visitors, the clouded leopard became part of the early Zona Cakar (Carnivora Zone) in 2016, until he was taken off-display in early 2024.
PKBSI should be more active with LIPI and the like for zoo management of Sunda clouded leopards?
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
There seems to be limited interest by PKBSI for native cats, zoos like Batu Secret Zoo have it as their own project without that big of endorsement from PKBSI.
It seems they generally only interested in getting good images and reputations for zoos (Revitalization of old zoos and all), as well as conservation projects for only select fews, like with charismatic species (Elephants, orangutan, etc.) and widely-popular endemic species (Komodo dragon, Javan hawk-eagle, etc.), but not for a wider range of species.
It's worth noting that PKBSI are far from a scientific association, like the Zoological Society of London for example. They're mostly just a community or at best facilitating communication and partnership with other Indonesian zoos and actors, while not fully in on the research themselves.
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
Zona Cakar Siap Sambut Lebaran di Gembira Loka Zoo | Gembira Loka Zoo
"Overall, this development will continue for the construction of the painted dog cage (African wild dog) and also the fox cage, which is planned to be completed during the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2026. In addition, with the opening of this Scratch Zone, Gembira Loka Zoo hopes not only to provide a new and pleasant experience for visitors, but also to become a more prosperous place for its animals."
Indeed, this news is true, and it is hoped that the African painted dog will arrive right on time for the Christmas holidays, not delayed like the ring-tailed lemur.
"Overall, this development will continue for the construction of the painted dog cage (African wild dog) and also the fox cage, which is planned to be completed during the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2026. In addition, with the opening of this Scratch Zone, Gembira Loka Zoo hopes not only to provide a new and pleasant experience for visitors, but also to become a more prosperous place for its animals."
Indeed, this news is true, and it is hoped that the African painted dog will arrive right on time for the Christmas holidays, not delayed like the ring-tailed lemur.