Lodz Zoo Lodz Zoo news

Some new things, observations based on the last few visits + news from newspapers.

Births:
- 1 Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat(second in this year)
- at least 1 Red-Whiskered Bulbul
- 3 Red Kangaroos

Deaths:
- 1 White-winged duck
- 1 Giant wood-rail
- male Great Argus(these three cases could have happened at the end of last year)
- Common Treeshrew - it appears that the first treeshrew that arrived to the zoo last year, died really quickly because of strees. On my previous post I send photo with indoor exhibit for this species and you can see that 1 part is behind some kind of tape. Earlier the second part of exhibit also had such "camouflage". The masking appeared when the first individual died. Because of this situation, there is a fear that a second individual could end in the same way if he/she has access to an outdoor exhibit. Now in this outdoor exhibit, you can find single Prévost's Squirrel

New arrivals:
- Java mouse-deer, female from Warsaw - return of this species after short time. This mammal is current in Nocturnal House.
- 5 African spoonbills - 2 males and 3 females from Kraków - One funny observation related to this species. Year ago and also in this year, one of the female spoonbill joined together in a pair with a male African Sacred Ibis. They share nest together, Ibis brings materials to the nest and gives it to the spoonbill, etc.
- 0.2 Lau banded iguanas
- Long-nosed horned frogs - return of this species after few years
- Chinese crocodile lizards
- 0.1 Demoiselle Crane - from Austria
- Nui Chua stick insects
- Banded Archerfish - return of this species after few years
- 0.1 Snowy Owl "Karina"
- 0.1 Bali Myna - both birds are probably from Wrocław
- Flag Cichlids, Haplochromis nyererei and some species of Sturisoma as additions to few tanks in Aquarium House
- there is also a new large asian Catfish in a big tank with Snakeheads, Pig-nosed Turtle etc in Orientarium. But I couldn't identify this spiecies.

Departures:
- 1.0 Chapman's zebra --> Zoo Borysew

Miscellaneous:
- return of the Fernand's skinks to Reptile House. They share exhibition with Beaded Lizards and a single Sudan plated lizard. Pueblan milk snake left this exhibition.
- It is possible that a new male cassowary will come from Warsaw. Specimen that hatched there last year I suppose
- finally return of the new infomation signages. Only exhibit with cranes, plus 1-2 small tanks in Orientarium without any information signages.
- like I said, there is 1 or 2 new small tanks in Orientarium. Right next to tanks with Thelodermas, Hillstream loaches etc.
- male binturong from Nocturnal House moved to Orientarium
- 3 former owls aviaries were combined to a one large. A new Snowy Owl lives there. Former residents: Barn Owls left the zoo, Eurasian eagle-owl is in a different aviary, and two females of pheasants whose species I don't remember are in aviary next to Nocturnal House(with a other 3 different bird species)
- there is a rumor that in a place where there are owl aviaries, a new pavilion is to be built
- another unsuccessful breeding season for Steller's sea eagle. Egg just dissapear. Also it seems that eagles try to hatch an egg without building a nest. I saw a nest, and eagle on it, but it turn out that nest was built very quickly by the zookeepers, after they noticed the egg. In the new aviary, eagles are very, very aggressive and only in the group, zookepers can go inside. That's why the aviary is so overgrown
- there is a modernization of outdoor orangutans exhibit. Exhibit will be bigger and covered with a netting from above
- because of this there is no water on this exhibit and in exhibit right next to. European otters lived there and for now they are on Fishing Cats exhibit. Fishing Cats are off show for now.
- in a park next too zoo, suddenly a young night heron appeared. This specimen has a ring on leg very similar to those in aviary in zoo. Just a different one letter and color of the ring. In a last 2 years 10-15 night herons hatched.
According to the one post on the Internet, someone contact with a zoo and reply was that it's not their night heron. However, I have a big doubts about that.- in Orientarium just next to Zoo entrance/exhit some kind of playground is built. In that place there were some exhibitions of photos, drawnings and various events. Paid attraction, probably. In my opinion this was a wasted potential of this area. Unfortunately, this place is looking more and more like an amusement park than a zoo.
On social media, the zoo prefers to advertise its new churros stand rather than arrivals of not high tiers animals.

As addition, only two photos. Crocodile lizard and paludarium finally with a new signs.
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Some new things, observations based on the last few visits + news from newspapers.

Births:
- 1 Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat(second in this year)
- at least 1 Red-Whiskered Bulbul
- 3 Red Kangaroos

Deaths:
- 1 White-winged duck
- 1 Giant wood-rail
- male Great Argus(these three cases could have happened at the end of last year)
- Common Treeshrew - it appears that the first treeshrew that arrived to the zoo last year, died really quickly because of strees. On my previous post I send photo with indoor exhibit for this species and you can see that 1 part is behind some kind of tape. Earlier the second part of exhibit also had such "camouflage". The masking appeared when the first individual died. Because of this situation, there is a fear that a second individual could end in the same way if he/she has access to an outdoor exhibit. Now in this outdoor exhibit, you can find single Prévost's Squirrel

New arrivals:
- Java mouse-deer, female from Warsaw - return of this species after short time. This mammal is current in Nocturnal House.
- 5 African spoonbills - 2 males and 3 females from Kraków - One funny observation related to this species. Year ago and also in this year, one of the female spoonbill joined together in a pair with a male African Sacred Ibis. They share nest together, Ibis brings materials to the nest and gives it to the spoonbill, etc.
- 0.2 Lau banded iguanas
- Long-nosed horned frogs - return of this species after few years
- Chinese crocodile lizards
- 0.1 Demoiselle Crane - from Austria
- Nui Chua stick insects
- Banded Archerfish - return of this species after few years
- 0.1 Snowy Owl "Karina"
- 0.1 Bali Myna - both birds are probably from Wrocław
- Flag Cichlids, Haplochromis nyererei and some species of Sturisoma as additions to few tanks in Aquarium House
- there is also a new large asian Catfish in a big tank with Snakeheads, Pig-nosed Turtle etc in Orientarium. But I couldn't identify this spiecies.

Departures:
- 1.0 Chapman's zebra --> Zoo Borysew

Miscellaneous:
- return of the Fernand's skinks to Reptile House. They share exhibition with Beaded Lizards and a single Sudan plated lizard. Pueblan milk snake left this exhibition.
- It is possible that a new male cassowary will come from Warsaw. Specimen that hatched there last year I suppose
- finally return of the new infomation signages. Only exhibit with cranes, plus 1-2 small tanks in Orientarium without any information signages.
- like I said, there is 1 or 2 new small tanks in Orientarium. Right next to tanks with Thelodermas, Hillstream loaches etc.
- male binturong from Nocturnal House moved to Orientarium
- 3 former owls aviaries were combined to a one large. A new Snowy Owl lives there. Former residents: Barn Owls left the zoo, Eurasian eagle-owl is in a different aviary, and two females of pheasants whose species I don't remember are in aviary next to Nocturnal House(with a other 3 different bird species)
- there is a rumor that in a place where there are owl aviaries, a new pavilion is to be built
- another unsuccessful breeding season for Steller's sea eagle. Egg just dissapear. Also it seems that eagles try to hatch an egg without building a nest. I saw a nest, and eagle on it, but it turn out that nest was built very quickly by the zookeepers, after they noticed the egg. In the new aviary, eagles are very, very aggressive and only in the group, zookepers can go inside. That's why the aviary is so overgrown
- there is a modernization of outdoor orangutans exhibit. Exhibit will be bigger and covered with a netting from above
- because of this there is no water on this exhibit and in exhibit right next to. European otters lived there and for now they are on Fishing Cats exhibit. Fishing Cats are off show for now.
- in a park next too zoo, suddenly a young night heron appeared. This specimen has a ring on leg very similar to those in aviary in zoo. Just a different one letter and color of the ring. In a last 2 years 10-15 night herons hatched.
According to the one post on the Internet, someone contact with a zoo and reply was that it's not their night heron. However, I have a big doubts about that.- in Orientarium just next to Zoo entrance/exhit some kind of playground is built. In that place there were some exhibitions of photos, drawnings and various events. Paid attraction, probably. In my opinion this was a wasted potential of this area. Unfortunately, this place is looking more and more like an amusement park than a zoo.
On social media, the zoo prefers to advertise its new churros stand rather than arrivals of not high tiers animals.

As addition, only two photos. Crocodile lizard and paludarium finally with a new signs.
View attachment 808038 View attachment 808039
Ibis x Spoonbill pairs have produced young in the past elsewhere
 
- 3 former owls aviaries were combined to a one large. A new Snowy Owl lives there. Former residents: Barn Owls left the zoo, Eurasian eagle-owl is in a different aviary, and two females of pheasants whose species I don't remember are in aviary next to Nocturnal House(with a other 3 different bird species)
View attachment 808038 View attachment 808039

Last september I saw those 2 females in one of the owl aviaries behind the South America House. I believe they are Swinhoe's pheasants

20240924_114420.jpg

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Last september I saw those 2 females in one of the owl aviaries behind the South America House. I believe they are Swinhoe's pheasants

20240924_114420.jpg
You are probably right, but I think that there were females of two different species. Swinhoe female + maybe Silver Pheasant female?
I remember two species signs on this aviary.
 
I checked my photos and I think you're right: 1 female Swinhoe and 2 female Silver pheasants:

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Like the last time,some new things, observations based on the last few visits + news from newspapers and etc.

Births:
- 1 Black-crowned night heron and 1 Crested partridge and few Indian runner ducks
- 1 Persian fallow deer. At first female didn't want to feed him, so zookeepers started hand rearing. That was 2-3 weeks ago. Maybe female started feeding him, but yesterday like the 2-3 weeks ago, calf was alone and hidden on the exhibit.
- 1 Red panda
- at least 1 Straw-coloured fruit bat

New arrivals:
- 1 Lowland paca, male from Berlin - currently in South America House
- 1 Earless monitor lizard - another species in Orientarium, in section with small aquariums, tanks etc
- 1 Sun bear, female Gula from Cologne - but it's probably not the last bear arrival in this year. According to the interview in TV, they expecting for a arrival of male from China in December.
- 6 Brumese star tortoise - separate enclosure in the elephant indoor exhibit(moat part)
- 3 Waldrapp ibises, 3 Hammerheads, 1 Glossy ibis. There is a chance that one of these birds could be a hatchling from Zoo Lodz from this year. But only a single Glossy ibis was clearly a young bird.


Miscellaneous:
- return of the Emerald tree monitor to Reptile House. Garden tree boa off show.
- Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat and Java mouse-deer - exhibits swap in Nocturnal House
- Burrowing parrots and Keas - aviaries swap
- finally Bali mynahs in Orientarium, in Sunda Isles part. However they are still in some kind of temporary covered aviary
- successful removal of an elephant's tusk(male Taru)
- last time I wrote about fishing cats off the show. But that's not true. They are still on the same exhibit, but one part is for them, and the second part for european otters pair
- single domestic duck from a "Minizoo", moved to the water birds aviary(night herons, ibises etc)
- mysterious project called "The Zone of Colorful Wings" is beign created in Orientarium, in Sunda Isles part. Please, please no tiny walk-through aviary with passerines.
- work is underway with outdoor orangutans exhibit. Exhibit will be a little larger and with a net at the top and with glasses in the front.
- work is underway also on the Savannah zone. In short: few exhibits will be connected to each other, footbridges for visitors. Among the new expected species: warthogs, ostriches, addaxes and Mohr gazzeles.
- overall work at the zoo is in full swing. Additional plants in Orientarium, replacing dead plants, cleaning works in various pavilons, mowing, additional "things" in various exhibits(for example a lot of new ropes in gibbons exhibit). There's a lot going on, because of EAZA Congress in Zoo Lodz in a few days.

As addition few photos + plan of Savannah zone. zal6-mapa.jpg 20250904_142015.jpg 20250904_153936.jpg 20250904_153437.jpg 20250904_160001.jpg 20250904_152041.jpg
 

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What bear species is expected from China?

- mysterious project called "The Zone of Colorful Wings" is beign created in Orientarium, in Sunda Isles part. Please, please no tiny walk-through aviary with passerines.
I wanted to write that you should not worry, that name alludes to a butterfly exhibit. But with that bird poster on your photo, I´m not sure anymore.
 
What bear species is expected from China?


I wanted to write that you should not worry, that name alludes to a butterfly exhibit. But with that bird poster on your photo, I´m not sure anymore.

Sun bear, male. I didn't specify.

About aviary. Of course it could be just a normal small birds display, but I have a bad feelings about this. Also, there is no room in that part of this zone for any of these type
walk-through "installations".
 
Overview of larger investments in the pipeline:
  • "Sawanna" - upgrade of existing African hoofstock enclosures at 3 ha - mixed African hoofstock and large birds - opening summer 2026
  • "Poziemne zoo" (underground zoo) - cave-themed complex with vombat, aardvark, European hamster, snakes... - opening ??
  • "Dom 4 żywiołów" (house of 4 elements) - water-themed exhibits - manatees, king penguins - opening 2029
  • Indian rhino exhibit - opening ??
The zoo seems to have bright future. August 2025 brought them 190.000 visitors, their best month ever. And if all these new plans materialise, it would boost their attendance a lot.
 
Overview of larger investments in the pipeline:
  • "Sawanna" - upgrade of existing African hoofstock enclosures at 3 ha - mixed African hoofstock and large birds - opening summer 2026
  • "Poziemne zoo" (underground zoo) - cave-themed complex with vombat, aardvark, European hamster, snakes... - opening ??
  • "Dom 4 żywiołów" (house of 4 elements) - water-themed exhibits - manatees, king penguins - opening 2029
  • Indian rhino exhibit - opening ??
The zoo seems to have bright future. August 2025 brought them 190.000 visitors, their best month ever. And if all these new plans materialise, it would boost their attendance a lot.

As of Wednesday this week there were signs up around the grounds for most of these - the Savannah signs being next to the zebra paddock (little doubt this is the actual location, as works have started on site - zebras having moved to the oryx house). The House of Four Elements signs are up near the kea aviary on the path between the nocturnal and South America houses, and the rhino ones near the camel/bison paddock - presumably reflecting the proposed locations of these developments. We didn't notice one for the underground zoo.

The signs themselves look like they may have some AI images - some dubious-looking antelope and the rhinos have the horn of an Indian but the muzzle of a white rhino...

We very much enjoyed the zoo - having not been in Łódź since 2008, it's safe to say it has progressed significantly in that time..!
 
20250926_144229.jpg New arrivals:
- 1 Somali Sheep from Zoo Leśne Zacisze
- 1 male Great Argus
- 1 female Blyth's Hornbill from Lisbon
Both birds currently lives in the same exhibit, just next to aviary with female argus and male hornbill
- 1 Prévost's Squirrel, this time female I guess
- small group of Hanging parrots, additionally 3 males are expected to arrive.
Not 100% sure if this is Loriculus Galgulus, or or something else. They are in Orientarium, in Sunda zone. Like Bali Mynahs before, they are in temporary, covered small aviary. Their final place will be aviary which I wrote about last time. No walk-through aviary, just a regular aviary for parrots AND for Palawan Porcupines. Part for porcupines is already up. About porcupines, this is return of this species to Orientarium after almost 3 years.


As addition to this information, Bali Mynahs finally free-roaming in this zone. They are very active, curious, and not timid. I've been waiting for this, since the first days of the opening of this pavilion.
Also male Red-cheeked gibbon from Kosice should arrive in some time.

Deaths:
- Giant Otter - male Cashibo



Miscellaneous:
More detailed information in english, about 3 future zoo projects:
Elemental Pavilion – main attraction of the new zoo in Łódź - Orientarium Łódź
Rhinoceros Pavilion and Southeast Asia Forest Zone - Orientarium Łódź
Savanna – African breeding and exhibition complex - Orientarium Łódź

I think that underground zoo in some way evolved to House of Elements. In description of this project there is a mention about "underground zone".
 

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Looks very promising. Very glad to read that there will be another holder for banteng, drill and bonobo.

Do you know where in the garden the Elemental Pavilion will be built: probably somewhere in the present Monkeyhouse-SouthAmericaHouse area?
 
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