ZSL London Zoo London Developments

C

^Chris^

Well-Known Member
What's going at London at the minute?

Some things I'm wondering are...
What are they making of the Lubetkin Penguin Pool? I heard the Porcupines had gone and also noticed it no longer appears on the zoo map? Does it just remains as a decorative feature?

What is currently in the big pachyderm house? I believe its still camels and bornean pigs but apparently the building has been renamed 'Zoo World' or something similar.

And also, does anyone know what the zoo is planning to do with the bird house which is currently being revamped?

Sorry, I am feeling curious today. I am going to London soon so I will see if I can answer any of the questions I can't find an answer to here!
 
What's going at London at the minute?


What is currently in the big pachyderm house?
The exhibit holds Bactrian Camel, Bearded Pig, and birds it also has information panels about how the Zoo works and future exhibits.

And also, does anyone know what the zoo is planning to do with the bird house which is currently being revamped?
The Bird house will feature Hummingbirds.
 
The present bird house is out of date and is in need of a revamp. I hope that they don't Change the hooded pitta and montserrat orioles, as they have a brilliant enclosure.

When I went, the bearded pig house also had a large area full of small mammal enclosures. They must be where the birds are currently kept.

But the biggest development is certainly Biota!!!
 
Bongo said:
What's going at London at the minute?


What is currently in the big pachyderm house?
The exhibit holds Bactrian Camel, Bearded Pig, and birds it also has information panels about how the Zoo works and future exhibits.
Click to expand...

I wondered if it might be something like that. Sounds interesting. Thankyou both for your info!
 
I went to London in June last year and the small mammals in the old elephant house were from the Clore Pavillion. I assume they have been returned to their old enclosures now. I have not been this year, I hope to do so soon and see the White-collared Mangabeys. I don't know anything about the Lubetkin penguin pool, unfortunately the zoo are stuck with it.
 
Is the penguin pool a listed enclosure? I have a small picture of Penguins in that pool from 2001. Isn't there another building desinged by Lubetkin in London zoo?
 
Writhedhornbill said:
Is the penguin pool a listed enclosure? I have a small picture of Penguins in that pool from 2001. Isn't there another building desinged by Lubetkin in London zoo?
Click to expand...

The pool is indeed listed. I think it's a Grade I, The other Lubetkin structure is the Gorilla House now housing aye-ayes (Also grade I). In addition the zoo's got a number of Grade II buildings such the raven cage and Decimus Burton's Giraffe and llama house- correct me if I am wrong (which is more often than not).

EDIT: Just had a little look and apparently the Clock Tower, Mappin Terrace, Snowdon Aviary and Casson Pavillion are all Class II too.
 
I think that London's snowdon Aviary could house a wider variety of Species. When I went last, It had a green peafowl and some Sacred Ibis and little egrets. What does it house now?
 
Chris and Glyn were both right with their buildings. I've looked at my copy of The Buildings of London Zoo, which lists a furthur three grade II buildings.

Mappin Café
North Gate Kiosk
K3 Telephone box

The Snowdon Aviary is not included so must be a recent addition to the list.

Many years ago one of their keepers told me that the Giraffe House and annexes together with the paddocks to the north were slowly sliding towards the canal.

The Snowdon Aviary last year seemed to have the birds which it always had i.e. cattle egrets, night herons, sacred ibis, ducks, gulls, pigeons and green peafowl. Hornbill also mentions little egrets which were probably there also. I also think it once had turacos and a black kite.
 
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I was gonna say Black Kite, I do remember then being in there not too long ago. Does anyone know what species of gull are kept?
 
African Grey-headed Gull. They also kept Silver Gulls in th Snowdon aviary in the past. I think Inca Terns were in there last year, and maybe Waldrapp Ibis, and in the 1980s purple gallinules and red-billed whistling ducks too
 
I remember purple gallinules, in 2001. I've been looking through my films, and found some clips of Snowdon aviary, I'll put them on the gallery.
 
I believe the oryx moved to make way for the Cape Hunting Dogs. I presume this means they've gone to Whipsnade. No bongos either.
 
It also had Inca Terns at one stage- and probably a number of other species no one has listed yet..
 
I saw the Bongo at Whipsnade last year. I believe they at least may be returning to ZSL at some stage. A pity the Arabian Oryx have gone to Whipsnade too- they will probably be kept on grass now- the dry gravel-type substrate of the cotton terrace paddock seems more suitable for a desert antelope. Does that mean the Hunting Dogs now live in their enclosure?
 
They live in a huge sloping enclosure. You look down on it from the giraffe area.

They only have 1 arabian gazelle at London Now. Ever Since Chester removed this species from it's collection, there hasn't been much sucess. Are London Gettinag another species of Gazelle?
 
There is some doubt as to the purity of the so called Arabian Gazelles in captivity which is why Chester got rid of them, so I was told. The original group was split between Chester and Dudley and all originated from the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, apart from one male at Chester who was from Libya and was thought to have been a Dorcas Gazelle. He did not breed successfully.

The last I heard was that Chester were waiting for Helsinki to arrange the movement of some Goitred Gazelles to the UK. This may have been held up by the outbreak of blue-tongue disease in Germany (just a guess).

I don't know what London's plans are?

The Arabian Oryx at Whipsnade were on grass last October. As previously stated, not a great substrate for a desert species. The addax enclosure at Chester was renovated and covered with sand. Unfortunately the addax have not yet arrived and the whole enclosure is again covered in grass.
 
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