Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
My apologies. On your map I saw no space for holding buildings
Masterplan of my "absolute" Zoo - 2022 version
- Thread starter Haliaeetus
- Start date
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Obviously the Lynx isn't a true "big cat" (Pantherinae) but the picture showed it with a typical cat posture, that can be easily seen among our Domestic Cats. The Lynx looks like them, only with a larger size.
I hope I have left any ambiguity about your question.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today I present you the three last exhibits of the North Asian Zone.
Nearly all the species displayed there have changed, and there are some very rare species among the new comers.
Some of the new species aren't properly "Northern" animals but as they live on the mountain forests of the Himalayan foothills, their presence in this zone remains consistent.
First the former Black-faced Spoonbills' aviary has been dried out, given as the Spoonbills have proven to be unfertile, thay have been sent back to Taipei Zoo. The Mandarin Ducks that used to live with them are now in the Père David's Deer enclosure (enclosure n° 11 in the North Asian Zone map).
This 1.290 m² exhibit (12) hosts now an unfrequent primate species, maybe because it's perceived as unattractive and even ugly for most visitors.
It's now the home of a small harem of Stump-tailed Macaques Macaca arctoides (1.4), the first species of Macaque of the 2022 collection.
Only 5 other European parks (not counting Russian ones) display this species.
In this exhibit, the former ponds have been filled with mulch, that's interesting to provide enrichment to the monkeys (with food or scents placed in the middle of the mulch).
All the trees (not edible nor toxic species) and stumps have been maintained, and a rocky pyramid has been built.
The former net has been changed for a more robust mesh, and large glass panels.
A semi-covered gallery has been created along the path.
In the bottom of the enclosure, some small grottoes offer hides to the primates, they are connected by corridors to 4 heated rooms where the animals spend the nights and the coldest days.
Stump-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
Stump-tailed Macaques' enclosure :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Indoor rooms for Stump-tailed Macaques (off-exhibit) :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
The second enclosure (13) was dedicated to a family of Asiatic Black Bears until 2021.
Now this large enclosure (4.420 m²) with natural-like landscapes is the home of a pair of Snow Leopards Panthera uncia (1.1),the male YARKAND and the female XENA.
These very charismatic animals have quickly became a favourite for the visitors, and complete the cat collection of the North Asian Zone, along with the Siberian Lynx and the Siberian Tigers.
Their feeding with chickens or pieces of meat (beef, mutton...) can be seen in special sessions, almost daily.
The design of the enclosure (on the model of the Himalayan terraces, see exhibit n° 5 of the Himalayan Zone) hasn't changed a lot since the time of the Black Bears, only the fences have been strengthened.
This enclosure mixes rocks, large plateaus, false and true trees and shrubs (conifers, rhododendrons, junipers...) and a small pool.
Some caves in the bottom of the enclosure are connected to night quarters.
Some panels have been installed to talk about the conservation projects supported by the Zoo to promote the coexistence between the Snow Leopards and the shepherds in Northern Pakistan.
It completes the Markhor conservation project, still supported by the Zoo in spite of the departure of this goat species.
A more broader panel about the status of the Snow Leopard in the wild, and the conservation actions realized across its range, is also displayed.
Snow Leopard :
Snow Leopard enclosure :
(Credits : Gil)
Finally, the last enclosure (14), that used to house Red Pandas in its 820 m², hosts now the rarest species of the Zone (and probably one of the rarest species in all the Zoo !).
The Red Panda pair has been sent to Darjeeling Zoo in Northern India, for a breeding program in the purpose of future releasings.
Instead of them, another Indian institution has sent Gee's Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei (1.4) to the Zoo. This species, even if it's a kind of symbol of the wildlife of Himalayan India and Bhutan, is endangered in the wild and unique in European zoos.
It's hoped that (after further imports of several breeding pairs or groups) a viable captive population would be maintained, as it's now the case for several Langur and Lutung species now.
The design of the enclosure hasn't changed a lot since last year, only more ropes have been placed between the trees to offer more climbing possibilities to the primates.
Some wooden belvederes allow to see the monkeys more easily, while a large moats prevents any escaping of them.
Like for the Stump-tailed Macaques previously described, they can go in inside (off-exhibit) quarters placed behind grottoes.
Additionnally the Zoo supports a community conservation project of these animals in Assam since early 2022. An information panel about it has been placed, as another one about the place of the monkeys in the Hindu culture.
Gee's Golden Langur :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Possible view of the Gee's Golden Langurs' enclosure :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Before leaving the North Asian Zone, I must talk about the "Sichuan" restaurant (D*), a pagoda-like wooden building with two floors and a terrace where it's possible to eat Asian specialities, and about a child playground (E) equally on the theme of Asia, located near it.
A view of the Sichuan restaurant (one of the rare non-animal pictures of this topic) :
(Credits : snowleopard)
*The "C" sign on the map correspond to a block of toilets located in a corner of the Pheasantry/Nursery Building, I apologize to have omitted them.
Next stage : the South Asian Zone, with many rarities and interesting species !
I let now you post your comments about the North Asian Zone, its exhibits and species.
today I present you the three last exhibits of the North Asian Zone.
Nearly all the species displayed there have changed, and there are some very rare species among the new comers.
Some of the new species aren't properly "Northern" animals but as they live on the mountain forests of the Himalayan foothills, their presence in this zone remains consistent.
First the former Black-faced Spoonbills' aviary has been dried out, given as the Spoonbills have proven to be unfertile, thay have been sent back to Taipei Zoo. The Mandarin Ducks that used to live with them are now in the Père David's Deer enclosure (enclosure n° 11 in the North Asian Zone map).
This 1.290 m² exhibit (12) hosts now an unfrequent primate species, maybe because it's perceived as unattractive and even ugly for most visitors.
It's now the home of a small harem of Stump-tailed Macaques Macaca arctoides (1.4), the first species of Macaque of the 2022 collection.
Only 5 other European parks (not counting Russian ones) display this species.
In this exhibit, the former ponds have been filled with mulch, that's interesting to provide enrichment to the monkeys (with food or scents placed in the middle of the mulch).
All the trees (not edible nor toxic species) and stumps have been maintained, and a rocky pyramid has been built.
The former net has been changed for a more robust mesh, and large glass panels.
A semi-covered gallery has been created along the path.
In the bottom of the enclosure, some small grottoes offer hides to the primates, they are connected by corridors to 4 heated rooms where the animals spend the nights and the coldest days.
Stump-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
Stump-tailed Macaques' enclosure :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Indoor rooms for Stump-tailed Macaques (off-exhibit) :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
The second enclosure (13) was dedicated to a family of Asiatic Black Bears until 2021.
Now this large enclosure (4.420 m²) with natural-like landscapes is the home of a pair of Snow Leopards Panthera uncia (1.1),the male YARKAND and the female XENA.
These very charismatic animals have quickly became a favourite for the visitors, and complete the cat collection of the North Asian Zone, along with the Siberian Lynx and the Siberian Tigers.
Their feeding with chickens or pieces of meat (beef, mutton...) can be seen in special sessions, almost daily.
The design of the enclosure (on the model of the Himalayan terraces, see exhibit n° 5 of the Himalayan Zone) hasn't changed a lot since the time of the Black Bears, only the fences have been strengthened.
This enclosure mixes rocks, large plateaus, false and true trees and shrubs (conifers, rhododendrons, junipers...) and a small pool.
Some caves in the bottom of the enclosure are connected to night quarters.
Some panels have been installed to talk about the conservation projects supported by the Zoo to promote the coexistence between the Snow Leopards and the shepherds in Northern Pakistan.
It completes the Markhor conservation project, still supported by the Zoo in spite of the departure of this goat species.
A more broader panel about the status of the Snow Leopard in the wild, and the conservation actions realized across its range, is also displayed.
Snow Leopard :
Snow Leopard enclosure :
(Credits : Gil)
Finally, the last enclosure (14), that used to house Red Pandas in its 820 m², hosts now the rarest species of the Zone (and probably one of the rarest species in all the Zoo !).
The Red Panda pair has been sent to Darjeeling Zoo in Northern India, for a breeding program in the purpose of future releasings.
Instead of them, another Indian institution has sent Gee's Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei (1.4) to the Zoo. This species, even if it's a kind of symbol of the wildlife of Himalayan India and Bhutan, is endangered in the wild and unique in European zoos.
It's hoped that (after further imports of several breeding pairs or groups) a viable captive population would be maintained, as it's now the case for several Langur and Lutung species now.
The design of the enclosure hasn't changed a lot since last year, only more ropes have been placed between the trees to offer more climbing possibilities to the primates.
Some wooden belvederes allow to see the monkeys more easily, while a large moats prevents any escaping of them.
Like for the Stump-tailed Macaques previously described, they can go in inside (off-exhibit) quarters placed behind grottoes.
Additionnally the Zoo supports a community conservation project of these animals in Assam since early 2022. An information panel about it has been placed, as another one about the place of the monkeys in the Hindu culture.
Gee's Golden Langur :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Possible view of the Gee's Golden Langurs' enclosure :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Before leaving the North Asian Zone, I must talk about the "Sichuan" restaurant (D*), a pagoda-like wooden building with two floors and a terrace where it's possible to eat Asian specialities, and about a child playground (E) equally on the theme of Asia, located near it.
A view of the Sichuan restaurant (one of the rare non-animal pictures of this topic) :
(Credits : snowleopard)
*The "C" sign on the map correspond to a block of toilets located in a corner of the Pheasantry/Nursery Building, I apologize to have omitted them.
Next stage : the South Asian Zone, with many rarities and interesting species !
I let now you post your comments about the North Asian Zone, its exhibits and species.
Overall, I have really enjoyed reading about the updated parts of the North Asian zone. However, if there was a sizable amount of unused land left in that part of your zoo; Then I believe you could possibly bring in a new pair of red pandas, and incorporate them into that new space along with a small ungulate species such as a muntjac or tufted deer. But even still, the amount of rarities that you’ve incorporated into this zone are still equally intriguing; and if this zoo was ever a real facility, I would certainly place it down as a top zoo to visit.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I take in note your suggestions.
Maybe they will lead to changes in 2023...
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
it's the time to describe a masterpiece of my Zoo, the South Asian Zone.
Map of the South Asian Zone :
This zone includes a lot of large exhibits for Elephants, Apes, Cats and other characteristical species of the Indian subcontinent, South-Eastern Asia and Indonesian and Filipino archipelagos.
The limits of this zone have changed since 2021 : the Asian Lions have been transferred in another zoo (their former exhibit is dedicated to African species), while the zone has gained the former Cassowary enclosures (once in the Oceanian Zone).
The visit of the zone begins with a 1,4 ha grassy and sandy plain (1) dedicated to Indian ungulates.
The enclosure is divided in 2 parts, crossed by a path : a tunnel allows the animals to go from one part to another.
In the bottom of the enclosure, some caves in the cliff are linked to the stables of the animals.
The enclosure is fenced with mesh wire ; some wooden observation towers allow to see the animals without any fencing.
The species displayed now have changed since 2021, with the departure of the Sambars and Grey Langurs.
We can now see the following animals :
For behavioral reasons, the tunnel between the two parts of the enclosure is frequently closed to avoid conflicts between the Gaurs and the Deer. Gaurs and Deer may stay alternatively in the Northern and the Southern part of the enclosure.
Indian Gaur :
(Credits : ThylacineAlive)
Indian Swamp Deer :
(Credits : Eagle)
Pair of Hog Deer :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Indian Hoofstock Plain :
(Credits : Antoine)
We come now in the Elephant Complex, that looks roughly to the 2021 version, except the night quarters that can now be visited.
The first enclosure or Northern Plain (2) is a 7.985 m² plain with a sandy soil.
It's the habitat of the Sri Lankan Elephants Elephas maximus maximus (0.3). The three cows are called JAFFNA, KANDY and LANKA. No breeding of them is planned for now.
The next exhibits or Central and Southern Plains (3) are even larger, with 28.335 m², so more than 2,8 ha. They are sandy plains like the first enclosure, but they can be linked together (it's the case in most times), so the animals can enjoy the whole area. The Southern Plain in mainly hidden from the sight of the visitors.
It would even be possible to link the three plains, for example if the Sri Lankan Elephants leave the Zoo.
A large pool provides freshness in the hot summer days.
Finally some enrichments have been put in the exhibits, with holes filled with fruit and nuts, and hay balls placed on the top of poles, all around the enclosures.
In the Central/Southern plains we can see the herd of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus (2.4), from continental (Indo-Burma) lineages.
The herd includes the adult bull (GANESHA), three adult cows (HAMPI, INDILA and JAWA) and twin calves born in 2020 (the male KAILASH and the female LUDHIANA).
For now the separation between the two plains works mainly in the musth period to isolate the bull, who may harass the females.
It's possible to see feeding sessions of the Elephants ; in these times the keepers explains the most prominent characteristics of the life of Elephants (both Indian and African), and their relationship with Humans. The conservation program supported by the Zoo to promote the coexistence between Elephants and villagers in Sri Lanka is also highlighted.
Along the enclosures, there are statues and panels that explain the prominent place of the Elephants in the Hindu and Buddhist cultures of Southern and South-Eastern Asia.
Sri Lankan Elephant :
(Credits : Zoofan15)
Asian Elephant :
(Credits : splendens)
Asian Elephant plain :
(Credits : Simon Hampel)
The inside housing quarters of the Elephants (4) can now be visited.
This 950 m² building host mainly the animals at night or in bad weather days.
The access of the building is located from the African Zone, behind the Aquarium and the Malagasy sector (I will probably talk about them during the summer).
Here's the map of the Elephant Pavilion :
The design of this pavilion isn't complex at all.
It's composed of small individual paddocks, that can either be linked or separated because of health, behaviour or other reasons : the Sri Lankan Elephants are housed at the left (A), the "Continental" at the right (B).
At the bottom a large (425 m²) inner enclosure (C) with a small pool can be used alternatively by the Sri Lankan herd, the continental group of cows/calves or by the bull. There's a rotation between them in the coldest winter days, when they cannot go outside.
The visitor space is a single corridor.
The mild French Val de Loire climate lessens much the need to large heated quarters, as it can be the case in Central and Northern countries of Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Poland...), so the design can be quite basical.
Elephant night quarters :
(Credits : Robaque)
Near the Elephant complex the visitor can enjoy a large picnic area (A) with a small snack and café (B) formerly called "The Elephants" and renamed "Hathi" ("Elephant" in Hindi language).
The Elephant path, formerly a dead end rejoins now the Australian Zone (I will describe it later).
Going back towards the core of the South Asian Zone, the visitor can see now a large aviary-type enclosure of 1.045 m² (5), that's the home of a family of Clouded Leopards Neofelis nebulosa of Indochinese lineage (3.3).
Like in 2020, the female had a litter of cubs (2.2).
We can see alternatively the sole male, or the female and her cubs in the main exhibit, otherwise they stay in the night quarters.
The former 3.1 litter born in 2020 has left the Zoo for other facilities.
Their jungle-like enclosure is densely forested, so it can be difficult to see these elusive cats, even when the female and her cubs are outside.
Artificial wooden structures and ropes disposed between the trees complete the layout, and provide extra hides for the animals.
Clouded Leopard :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Clouded Leopard enclosure :
(Credits : lintworm)
After the Clouded Leopards, we can see another (smaller) species of cat and other species in the Small Mammal complex.
The first of these enclosures (6) has a 600 m² surface and looks really like a smaller version of the Clouded Leopard exhibit, with the same dense vegetation and structures. Only a small pool and a waterfall makes a difference, because of the needs of its dwellers.
It's the home of Fishing Cats Prionailurus viverrinus (2.1).
For now there are a breeding pair and a young male born in 2020, that hasn't yet left the Zoo. His 2.0 brothers have been transferred to another facility.
Fishing Cats :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Fishing Cat enclosure :
(Credits : lintworm)
Near the Fishing Cat enclosure, the former Palm Civet exhibit (7) hosts now a more conspicuous species : the Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus (5.3), a new species for the Zoo.
In this 420 m² enclosure, much of the vegetation has been removed (because of the potentially destructive behaviour of the monkeys) but a lot of trunks, branches and ropes offer climbing opportunities for the animals.
The soil is covered with mulch, where some food and olfactive enrichments are oftern buried.
There are also some grassy areas in the enclosure.
The primates can be seen behind large glass panels, a semi-covered gallery has also been created to avoid the reflects on the glass, especially by sunny weather.
Lion-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Lion-tailed Macaques' exhibit :
(Credits : Nix)
For today, I will end the post with the inner exhibits of the Small Mammal complex, formerly "South Asian Vivarium" (8).
The map remains the same as in 2021 :
The visit of the building begins with the night/winter quarters of the Lion-tailed Macaques (A), a 50 m² exhibit with wooden structures, ropes and mulch on the soil.
The second enclosure (B), of 40 m² surface, hosts a new acquisition of the Zoo, also unique in Europe and in most zoos in the world, the Philippine Flying Lemur Cynocephalus volans (2.5).
The most remarkable feature is the birth of 0.1 young in 2021, from the 2.4 group that initially have reached the Zoo.
Flying Lemur exhibit :
(Credits : Blackduiker)
The third exhibit, a 20 m² enclosure (C), is now empty.
The last enclosure (D), that is the smaller (15 m²), remains the home of Common Treeshrews Tupaia glis (1.2).
It's filled with lush tropical vegetation, nest boxes and other hides for the animals.
A male that formerly lived in the enclosure has been recently changed for a female.
Common Treeshrew :
(Credits : Javan Rhino)
Common Treeshrews' exhibit :
(Credits : EmperorTamarin)
The Malayan Slow Lorises and Southern Luzon Phloeomys (Cloud Rats) have left the Zoo in 2021.
To end the description, there are two off-exhibit quarters for Fishing Cats (E-F) of 30 m² each ; and two other off-exhibit quarters (G-H) of 25 and 40 m² for a primate species that has recently replaced the second family group of 1.3 Fishing Cats.
I don't say anymore about it for now...
It's time to stop the description of the South Asian Zone for now.
I let you post your first impressions of the zone, your observations and suggestions about the exhibits, the animals, etc...
Stay in touch !
it's the time to describe a masterpiece of my Zoo, the South Asian Zone.
Map of the South Asian Zone :
This zone includes a lot of large exhibits for Elephants, Apes, Cats and other characteristical species of the Indian subcontinent, South-Eastern Asia and Indonesian and Filipino archipelagos.
The limits of this zone have changed since 2021 : the Asian Lions have been transferred in another zoo (their former exhibit is dedicated to African species), while the zone has gained the former Cassowary enclosures (once in the Oceanian Zone).
The visit of the zone begins with a 1,4 ha grassy and sandy plain (1) dedicated to Indian ungulates.
The enclosure is divided in 2 parts, crossed by a path : a tunnel allows the animals to go from one part to another.
In the bottom of the enclosure, some caves in the cliff are linked to the stables of the animals.
The enclosure is fenced with mesh wire ; some wooden observation towers allow to see the animals without any fencing.
The species displayed now have changed since 2021, with the departure of the Sambars and Grey Langurs.
We can now see the following animals :
- Indian Gaur Bos gaurus (3.4)
- Indian Swamp Deer Rucervus duvaucelii (4.5), new species for the Zoo
- Hog Deer Axis porcinus (2.5)
For behavioral reasons, the tunnel between the two parts of the enclosure is frequently closed to avoid conflicts between the Gaurs and the Deer. Gaurs and Deer may stay alternatively in the Northern and the Southern part of the enclosure.
Indian Gaur :
(Credits : ThylacineAlive)
Indian Swamp Deer :
(Credits : Eagle)
Pair of Hog Deer :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Indian Hoofstock Plain :
(Credits : Antoine)
We come now in the Elephant Complex, that looks roughly to the 2021 version, except the night quarters that can now be visited.
The first enclosure or Northern Plain (2) is a 7.985 m² plain with a sandy soil.
It's the habitat of the Sri Lankan Elephants Elephas maximus maximus (0.3). The three cows are called JAFFNA, KANDY and LANKA. No breeding of them is planned for now.
The next exhibits or Central and Southern Plains (3) are even larger, with 28.335 m², so more than 2,8 ha. They are sandy plains like the first enclosure, but they can be linked together (it's the case in most times), so the animals can enjoy the whole area. The Southern Plain in mainly hidden from the sight of the visitors.
It would even be possible to link the three plains, for example if the Sri Lankan Elephants leave the Zoo.
A large pool provides freshness in the hot summer days.
Finally some enrichments have been put in the exhibits, with holes filled with fruit and nuts, and hay balls placed on the top of poles, all around the enclosures.
In the Central/Southern plains we can see the herd of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus (2.4), from continental (Indo-Burma) lineages.
The herd includes the adult bull (GANESHA), three adult cows (HAMPI, INDILA and JAWA) and twin calves born in 2020 (the male KAILASH and the female LUDHIANA).
For now the separation between the two plains works mainly in the musth period to isolate the bull, who may harass the females.
It's possible to see feeding sessions of the Elephants ; in these times the keepers explains the most prominent characteristics of the life of Elephants (both Indian and African), and their relationship with Humans. The conservation program supported by the Zoo to promote the coexistence between Elephants and villagers in Sri Lanka is also highlighted.
Along the enclosures, there are statues and panels that explain the prominent place of the Elephants in the Hindu and Buddhist cultures of Southern and South-Eastern Asia.
Sri Lankan Elephant :
(Credits : Zoofan15)
Asian Elephant :
(Credits : splendens)
Asian Elephant plain :
(Credits : Simon Hampel)
The inside housing quarters of the Elephants (4) can now be visited.
This 950 m² building host mainly the animals at night or in bad weather days.
The access of the building is located from the African Zone, behind the Aquarium and the Malagasy sector (I will probably talk about them during the summer).
Here's the map of the Elephant Pavilion :
The design of this pavilion isn't complex at all.
It's composed of small individual paddocks, that can either be linked or separated because of health, behaviour or other reasons : the Sri Lankan Elephants are housed at the left (A), the "Continental" at the right (B).
At the bottom a large (425 m²) inner enclosure (C) with a small pool can be used alternatively by the Sri Lankan herd, the continental group of cows/calves or by the bull. There's a rotation between them in the coldest winter days, when they cannot go outside.
The visitor space is a single corridor.
The mild French Val de Loire climate lessens much the need to large heated quarters, as it can be the case in Central and Northern countries of Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Poland...), so the design can be quite basical.
Elephant night quarters :
(Credits : Robaque)
Near the Elephant complex the visitor can enjoy a large picnic area (A) with a small snack and café (B) formerly called "The Elephants" and renamed "Hathi" ("Elephant" in Hindi language).
The Elephant path, formerly a dead end rejoins now the Australian Zone (I will describe it later).
Going back towards the core of the South Asian Zone, the visitor can see now a large aviary-type enclosure of 1.045 m² (5), that's the home of a family of Clouded Leopards Neofelis nebulosa of Indochinese lineage (3.3).
Like in 2020, the female had a litter of cubs (2.2).
We can see alternatively the sole male, or the female and her cubs in the main exhibit, otherwise they stay in the night quarters.
The former 3.1 litter born in 2020 has left the Zoo for other facilities.
Their jungle-like enclosure is densely forested, so it can be difficult to see these elusive cats, even when the female and her cubs are outside.
Artificial wooden structures and ropes disposed between the trees complete the layout, and provide extra hides for the animals.
Clouded Leopard :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Clouded Leopard enclosure :
(Credits : lintworm)
After the Clouded Leopards, we can see another (smaller) species of cat and other species in the Small Mammal complex.
The first of these enclosures (6) has a 600 m² surface and looks really like a smaller version of the Clouded Leopard exhibit, with the same dense vegetation and structures. Only a small pool and a waterfall makes a difference, because of the needs of its dwellers.
It's the home of Fishing Cats Prionailurus viverrinus (2.1).
For now there are a breeding pair and a young male born in 2020, that hasn't yet left the Zoo. His 2.0 brothers have been transferred to another facility.
Fishing Cats :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Fishing Cat enclosure :
(Credits : lintworm)
Near the Fishing Cat enclosure, the former Palm Civet exhibit (7) hosts now a more conspicuous species : the Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus (5.3), a new species for the Zoo.
In this 420 m² enclosure, much of the vegetation has been removed (because of the potentially destructive behaviour of the monkeys) but a lot of trunks, branches and ropes offer climbing opportunities for the animals.
The soil is covered with mulch, where some food and olfactive enrichments are oftern buried.
There are also some grassy areas in the enclosure.
The primates can be seen behind large glass panels, a semi-covered gallery has also been created to avoid the reflects on the glass, especially by sunny weather.
Lion-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Lion-tailed Macaques' exhibit :
(Credits : Nix)
For today, I will end the post with the inner exhibits of the Small Mammal complex, formerly "South Asian Vivarium" (8).
The map remains the same as in 2021 :
The visit of the building begins with the night/winter quarters of the Lion-tailed Macaques (A), a 50 m² exhibit with wooden structures, ropes and mulch on the soil.
The second enclosure (B), of 40 m² surface, hosts a new acquisition of the Zoo, also unique in Europe and in most zoos in the world, the Philippine Flying Lemur Cynocephalus volans (2.5).
The most remarkable feature is the birth of 0.1 young in 2021, from the 2.4 group that initially have reached the Zoo.
Flying Lemur exhibit :
(Credits : Blackduiker)
The third exhibit, a 20 m² enclosure (C), is now empty.
The last enclosure (D), that is the smaller (15 m²), remains the home of Common Treeshrews Tupaia glis (1.2).
It's filled with lush tropical vegetation, nest boxes and other hides for the animals.
A male that formerly lived in the enclosure has been recently changed for a female.
Common Treeshrew :
(Credits : Javan Rhino)
Common Treeshrews' exhibit :
(Credits : EmperorTamarin)
The Malayan Slow Lorises and Southern Luzon Phloeomys (Cloud Rats) have left the Zoo in 2021.
To end the description, there are two off-exhibit quarters for Fishing Cats (E-F) of 30 m² each ; and two other off-exhibit quarters (G-H) of 25 and 40 m² for a primate species that has recently replaced the second family group of 1.3 Fishing Cats.
I don't say anymore about it for now...
It's time to stop the description of the South Asian Zone for now.
I let you post your first impressions of the zone, your observations and suggestions about the exhibits, the animals, etc...
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today I describe some of the next enclosures of the South Asian Zone, beginning with the last enclosure of the Small Mammal House (9), formerly dedicated to a family of Fishing Cats.
Now this 640 m² exhibit hosts a new species for the Zoo, the Philippine Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis philippensis (3.0), this species is also unique in European zoos.
The trio of males hosted in the Zoo has been seized by the customs. It isn't planned to bring new animals and to start any breeding.
Their enclosure looks like the Lion-tailed Macaques exhibit previously described, all the vegetation has been removed.
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : devilfish)
Soon after the Philippine Macaques' enclosure, you will see a gift shop (C), then a toilet block (D).
You can now enter the Orang-Utan House (10).
The map of this house can be seen here :
It's a 855m² building, that includes a corridor for the visitors, and three inner enclosures for the primates, that belong to two species :
The pair of Lars (the male GUNUNG and the female HUÊ) have enjoyed the birth of 0.1 offspring in 2021, the young female ILONA.
The building is designed to host both species, with 2 main inner enclosures of 225 m² each (A and C), and a third (off-exhibit) enclosure of 80 m² (B), only accessible to the Gibbons thanks to small traps.
Some corridors and bridges complete these exhibits and allow the animals to go outside, when the weather is above 10°C.
The design of all these enclosures is similar, with straw on the soil, many climbing artificial structures with mock-rock, trunks, ropes... and some feeders that provide food but also cognitive enrichment, given that the primates must extract the food (pieces of fruit, nuts...) from a labyrinth.
Above these enclosures there's a mesh structure (where the primates can climb) and large skylight windows (that could be semi-opened sometimes).
There are daily feeding sessions in winter in this building : one or two keepers climb on the top of the structures and dispose food on the mesh, that's then seized by the animals.
Bornean Orangutan :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Lar :
(Credits : AthleticBinturong)
Orangutan and Lar exhibit :
(Credits : MarimoMihara)
The outside quarters of these primates (11) are a large complex of 4 islands that totalize 4.352 m², and are linked between them (and to the night/winter quarters) by rope bridges and platforms.
A bridge overhangs even the visit path, so the visitors can see (with a bit of luck) the primates above them.
In all these islands there are artificial and semi-natural (trunks) climbing structures, but also natural trees with non-edible foliage. There's mainly grass on the ground.
In summer, the feeding sessions are displaced in these islands, the keepers throw fruit and vegetables to the islands, where the primates catch and eat them.
One of the Orangutan islands :
(Credits : Arizona Docent)
We see now two aviaries, dedicated to diverse large (and sometimes endangered) Asian birds.
The first one (12) has a 865 m² surface and hosts 2 species, among the most imperiled of the continent :
The Zoo has strengthened its partnership with Indian and Nepali institutions, allowing the import of a second pair of Indian Vultures and of the Adjutants.
Instead the Brahminy Kites, belonging to a much more common species, have been sent away.
The Zoo supports safe feeding zones, free from diclofenac and other toxic drugs (primary causes of declines of the Indian vulture species) in both countries, and also the breeding program of the Greater Adjutant in Indian zoos.
This aviary is mainly barren (like most vulture aviaries), with some rocks and trunks, and 3 platforms that may be used for the breeding of the birds.
Some vines climb on the wall at the bottom of the exhibit.
Greater Adjutant :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
The next exhibit (13) is a much larger aviary (1.790 m²) that includes a walkthrough path, in a lush environment, with many grasses, reeds and trees. In the middle of it, there's a pond and an island where the birds may breed.
There are Australasian waterbird species in this aviary.
Now the displayed species are :
1.0 Australian Ibis arrived, in change for 0.2 animals of the same species.
In the aviary there are panels that explain the conservation action led by the Zoo in Cambodian marshes and lakes like the famous Tonle Sap (bird-friendly agricultural methods, monitoring and anti-poaching actions...).
Australian Ibis :
(Credits : Anubite)
Black-necked Stork :
(Credits : red river hog)
Look of the Asian aviary :
(Credits : elephantelephant)
Immediately after this aviary there's a restaurant called "Le Kinabalu" (E) where it's possible to enjoy Indonesian specialities.
We are now in front of the former Cassowary enclosures (14), formerly included in the Oceanian Zone.
The complex remains with 3 forested enclosures of 3.000, 515 and 2.020 m² (only the two largest enclosures can be seen by the public, the smaller is entirely off exhibit).
The fences are mainly made by wood.
They are now the home of a new species, the Lowland Anoa Bubalus depressicornis (1.2).
The animals can either stay together of be separated for behavioral reasons.
Lowland Anoa :
$
(Credits : twilighter)
Lowland Anoa enclosure :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
As we approach the end of this South Asian Zone, we'll soon discover the Bird House, that mixes Asian and Oceanian elements, but I wouldn't describe it today.
You can give now your impressions about this bit of description.
Stay in touch !
today I describe some of the next enclosures of the South Asian Zone, beginning with the last enclosure of the Small Mammal House (9), formerly dedicated to a family of Fishing Cats.
Now this 640 m² exhibit hosts a new species for the Zoo, the Philippine Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis philippensis (3.0), this species is also unique in European zoos.
The trio of males hosted in the Zoo has been seized by the customs. It isn't planned to bring new animals and to start any breeding.
Their enclosure looks like the Lion-tailed Macaques exhibit previously described, all the vegetation has been removed.
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque :
(Credits : devilfish)
Soon after the Philippine Macaques' enclosure, you will see a gift shop (C), then a toilet block (D).
You can now enter the Orang-Utan House (10).
The map of this house can be seen here :
It's a 855m² building, that includes a corridor for the visitors, and three inner enclosures for the primates, that belong to two species :
- Bornean Orangutan Pongo pygameus (3.3)
- Lar Hylobates lar (1.2)
The pair of Lars (the male GUNUNG and the female HUÊ) have enjoyed the birth of 0.1 offspring in 2021, the young female ILONA.
The building is designed to host both species, with 2 main inner enclosures of 225 m² each (A and C), and a third (off-exhibit) enclosure of 80 m² (B), only accessible to the Gibbons thanks to small traps.
Some corridors and bridges complete these exhibits and allow the animals to go outside, when the weather is above 10°C.
The design of all these enclosures is similar, with straw on the soil, many climbing artificial structures with mock-rock, trunks, ropes... and some feeders that provide food but also cognitive enrichment, given that the primates must extract the food (pieces of fruit, nuts...) from a labyrinth.
Above these enclosures there's a mesh structure (where the primates can climb) and large skylight windows (that could be semi-opened sometimes).
There are daily feeding sessions in winter in this building : one or two keepers climb on the top of the structures and dispose food on the mesh, that's then seized by the animals.
Bornean Orangutan :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Lar :
(Credits : AthleticBinturong)
Orangutan and Lar exhibit :
(Credits : MarimoMihara)
The outside quarters of these primates (11) are a large complex of 4 islands that totalize 4.352 m², and are linked between them (and to the night/winter quarters) by rope bridges and platforms.
A bridge overhangs even the visit path, so the visitors can see (with a bit of luck) the primates above them.
In all these islands there are artificial and semi-natural (trunks) climbing structures, but also natural trees with non-edible foliage. There's mainly grass on the ground.
In summer, the feeding sessions are displaced in these islands, the keepers throw fruit and vegetables to the islands, where the primates catch and eat them.
One of the Orangutan islands :
(Credits : Arizona Docent)
We see now two aviaries, dedicated to diverse large (and sometimes endangered) Asian birds.
The first one (12) has a 865 m² surface and hosts 2 species, among the most imperiled of the continent :
- Indian Vulture Gyps indicus (2.2)
- Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius (1.2), new species for the Zoo.
The Zoo has strengthened its partnership with Indian and Nepali institutions, allowing the import of a second pair of Indian Vultures and of the Adjutants.
Instead the Brahminy Kites, belonging to a much more common species, have been sent away.
The Zoo supports safe feeding zones, free from diclofenac and other toxic drugs (primary causes of declines of the Indian vulture species) in both countries, and also the breeding program of the Greater Adjutant in Indian zoos.
This aviary is mainly barren (like most vulture aviaries), with some rocks and trunks, and 3 platforms that may be used for the breeding of the birds.
Some vines climb on the wall at the bottom of the exhibit.
Greater Adjutant :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
The next exhibit (13) is a much larger aviary (1.790 m²) that includes a walkthrough path, in a lush environment, with many grasses, reeds and trees. In the middle of it, there's a pond and an island where the birds may breed.
There are Australasian waterbird species in this aviary.
Now the displayed species are :
- Australian Ibis Threskiornis molucca (3.5)
- Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus (0.2), this species is unique in Europe for now
- Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana (2.2), this species is unique in Europe
- Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis (5.0), this species is unique in Europe
1.0 Australian Ibis arrived, in change for 0.2 animals of the same species.
In the aviary there are panels that explain the conservation action led by the Zoo in Cambodian marshes and lakes like the famous Tonle Sap (bird-friendly agricultural methods, monitoring and anti-poaching actions...).
Australian Ibis :
(Credits : Anubite)
Black-necked Stork :
(Credits : red river hog)
Look of the Asian aviary :
(Credits : elephantelephant)
Immediately after this aviary there's a restaurant called "Le Kinabalu" (E) where it's possible to enjoy Indonesian specialities.
We are now in front of the former Cassowary enclosures (14), formerly included in the Oceanian Zone.
The complex remains with 3 forested enclosures of 3.000, 515 and 2.020 m² (only the two largest enclosures can be seen by the public, the smaller is entirely off exhibit).
The fences are mainly made by wood.
They are now the home of a new species, the Lowland Anoa Bubalus depressicornis (1.2).
The animals can either stay together of be separated for behavioral reasons.
Lowland Anoa :
(Credits : twilighter)
Lowland Anoa enclosure :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
As we approach the end of this South Asian Zone, we'll soon discover the Bird House, that mixes Asian and Oceanian elements, but I wouldn't describe it today.
You can give now your impressions about this bit of description.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today it's the next step of the 2022 version of the South Asian Zone, with one masterpiece : the Bird House. It's a large (2.705 m²) greenhouse with a walkthrough exhibit with free-flying birds, crocodile pools ; the main building is completed by annex aviaries for species with special requirements.
This complex makes the boundary between the South Asian and Oceanian realms, many species live in both ecoregions or even only in "Oceanian" islands (Eastern part of Indonesia, Papua, New Caledonia...).
The most important part of the complex (15) is a walkthrough zone of 1.700 m², with lush vegetation native to South Asia and Oceania. The full list of species isn't released yet, but some of the species are used of human consumption (for example there are coconut trees, whose fruit is used for food, oil and fibers, domestically or abroad).
The importance of these plants is explained in the greenhouse, as well as ecological issues like the deforestation for commercial crops or the spread of invasive species.
There are a shallow pond and a waterfall in the greenhouse, they have recreational purposes but they provide also water for the birds, that could drink and bath there. Some species like to hide in the swampy vegetation around the pond.
Some arid corners, with rocks and sand, provide habitat for the dryland species.
The Zoo supports the campaign "Silent Forest" (against the depletion of bird population in Southeast Asia, primarily due to trade of commercially valuable species) but in a positive and original way, supporting a program of restoration of the ecoystem in Philippine islands, including its most prominent dwellers like Cockatoos and Hornbills, and communicating mainly about it.
Along the path there are many feeders filled with seeds, fruit, insects and nectar, for the numerous birds and animals that live in the greenhouse. Some recreational panels explain here the specificities of the alimentary habits of the different bird species.
The current collection includes many species, including some real rarities and, for the first time a mammal :
Some arrivals have happened, in some cases to form breeding pairs : 0.1 Great Argus, 1.3 Coroneted Fruit-doves, 1.0 Striated Babbler, 0.1 Purple-throated Sunbird, 0.2 Red Avadavats.
Instead some birds have left the collection : the Laysan Ducks, Comb-crested Jacana, Zebra Doves, Asian Fairy-bluebirds, Blue-and-white Flycatchers, White-headed Munias, Scaly-breasted Munias, Java Sparrows and Cardinal Honeyeaters. Most of them belong to common species in zoos, or were represented by single birds or same-sex groups.
The Zoo have recorded the departure of 0.1 Striated Babbler, 1.0 Purple-throated Sunbird and 1.0 Red Avadavat.
View of the Bird House :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Indian Fruit Bat :
(Credits : Therabu)
Red Junglefowl :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Buff-banded Rail :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Victoria Crowned-Pigeons :
Coroneted Fruit-Dove :
(Credits : Ding Lingwei)
Green Broadbill :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Red-billed Leiothrix :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Black-faced Woodswallow :
(Credits : Hix)
Purple-throated Sunbird :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Red Avadavat :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
The Bird House is completed with 3 large enclosures designed for Crocodilians. All of them are netted to prevent the birds to be drowned or eaten (especially the galliformes, rails and doves that could be good preys...).
Two enclosures (16-17) have a 310 m² surface each, with large pools that can be seen behind glass panels. There are large banks made of sand and rocks, where the reptiles can sunbathe.
In winter months, some artificial lights replace the weak natural enlightment.
In the first enclosure the pool is very deep (up to 4 m depth) and large (150 m²), it's the home of adults Saltwater Crocodiles Crocodylus porosus (1.2). The male ZEPHYR and the females YARRA and ALICE are very good breeders, clutches are often recorded. In 2021, 141 young Crocodiles hatched.
Some piles of rotten leaves and sand offer a good place for the females to lay eggs.
The second enclosure have a smaller pond (up to 2 m depth, but most places are shallower) of 100 m². We can see there some of the young Crocs born in 2021 (10.8) before their transfer to other zoos and facilities.
The last enclosure (18) has a 350 m² surface, a pool of 160 m² and of 3 m depth, it was formerly the habitat of the False Gharials, but now we can see another groupe of young Saltwater Crocodiles born in 2020 (5.0).
All these exhibits allow to see the crocodilians in all the stages of their lifes.
It's possible to attend to daily feeding sessions for the crocs of all ages.
Adult Saltwater Crocodile :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Juvenile Saltwater Crocodile :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Saltwater Crocodile exhibit and pool :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
Out of the Bird House, we can see several aviaries on the sides of the building.
Some of them existed already in 2020, other have been built meanwhile to house some rare species with very special requirements.
The two largest exhibits (that I will describe today) existed already in 2020, both have 150 m² (19-20). They are filled with bamboo, bushes, trees and perches, and fenced with mesh.
The first aviary is the home of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus (1.1), these birds are the only representents of the species that remain in the Zoo (the other, that lived in the main Bird House and in the Asian Wetland Aviary, have left the park).
The second hosts a new species, the Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis (2.0). These birds are young brothers, they live for now here, before the possible arrival of one or more females to form breeding pairs.
Green Peafowl :
(Credits : toto98)
Great Hornbill :
(Credits : Therabu)
Great Hornbill aviary :
(Credits : Moebelle)
In the next days I'll describe the last aviaries of the (Austral?)Asian Bird complex, most of them being newly realized.
I'd like to see your replies about this part of the South Asian Zone, the species displayed and the exhibits.
See you later !
today it's the next step of the 2022 version of the South Asian Zone, with one masterpiece : the Bird House. It's a large (2.705 m²) greenhouse with a walkthrough exhibit with free-flying birds, crocodile pools ; the main building is completed by annex aviaries for species with special requirements.
This complex makes the boundary between the South Asian and Oceanian realms, many species live in both ecoregions or even only in "Oceanian" islands (Eastern part of Indonesia, Papua, New Caledonia...).
The most important part of the complex (15) is a walkthrough zone of 1.700 m², with lush vegetation native to South Asia and Oceania. The full list of species isn't released yet, but some of the species are used of human consumption (for example there are coconut trees, whose fruit is used for food, oil and fibers, domestically or abroad).
The importance of these plants is explained in the greenhouse, as well as ecological issues like the deforestation for commercial crops or the spread of invasive species.
There are a shallow pond and a waterfall in the greenhouse, they have recreational purposes but they provide also water for the birds, that could drink and bath there. Some species like to hide in the swampy vegetation around the pond.
Some arid corners, with rocks and sand, provide habitat for the dryland species.
The Zoo supports the campaign "Silent Forest" (against the depletion of bird population in Southeast Asia, primarily due to trade of commercially valuable species) but in a positive and original way, supporting a program of restoration of the ecoystem in Philippine islands, including its most prominent dwellers like Cockatoos and Hornbills, and communicating mainly about it.
Along the path there are many feeders filled with seeds, fruit, insects and nectar, for the numerous birds and animals that live in the greenhouse. Some recreational panels explain here the specificities of the alimentary habits of the different bird species.
The current collection includes many species, including some real rarities and, for the first time a mammal :
- Indian Flying Fox Pteropus medius, new species for the Zoo (1.5)
- Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus (8.10)
- Great Argus Argusianus argus (1.2)
- Buff-banded Rail Hypotaenidia philippensis, new species for the Zoo (4.13) ; this species if currently unique in the European continent (even if some individuals exist in overseas parks, like in New Caledonia)
- Victoria Crowned-pigeon Goura victoria, new species for the Zoo (3.2)
- Coroneted Fruit-dove Ptilinopus coronulatus (3.3)
- Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon Petrophassa rufipennis, new species for the Zoo and unique in Europe (1.1)
- Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot Micropsitta bruijnii, new species for the Zoo and unique in Europe (3.3)
- Green Broadbill Calyptomena viridis, new species for the Zoo (0.1)
- Striated Babbler Argyia earlei, unique in Europe (1.2)
- Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea, new species for the Zoo (8.5)
- Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus melanops, new species for the Zoo and unique in Europe (0.3)
- Purple-throated Sunbird Leptocoma sperata, unique in Europe (2.3)
- Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps, new species for the Zoo and unique in Europe (5.5)
- New Guinea Friarbird Philemon buceroides novaeguineae, new species for the Zoo and unique in Europe (2.1)
- Red Avadavat Amandava amandava (4.9)
Some arrivals have happened, in some cases to form breeding pairs : 0.1 Great Argus, 1.3 Coroneted Fruit-doves, 1.0 Striated Babbler, 0.1 Purple-throated Sunbird, 0.2 Red Avadavats.
Instead some birds have left the collection : the Laysan Ducks, Comb-crested Jacana, Zebra Doves, Asian Fairy-bluebirds, Blue-and-white Flycatchers, White-headed Munias, Scaly-breasted Munias, Java Sparrows and Cardinal Honeyeaters. Most of them belong to common species in zoos, or were represented by single birds or same-sex groups.
The Zoo have recorded the departure of 0.1 Striated Babbler, 1.0 Purple-throated Sunbird and 1.0 Red Avadavat.
View of the Bird House :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Indian Fruit Bat :
(Credits : Therabu)
Red Junglefowl :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Buff-banded Rail :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Victoria Crowned-Pigeons :
Coroneted Fruit-Dove :
(Credits : Ding Lingwei)
Green Broadbill :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Red-billed Leiothrix :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Black-faced Woodswallow :
(Credits : Hix)
Purple-throated Sunbird :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
Red Avadavat :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
The Bird House is completed with 3 large enclosures designed for Crocodilians. All of them are netted to prevent the birds to be drowned or eaten (especially the galliformes, rails and doves that could be good preys...).
Two enclosures (16-17) have a 310 m² surface each, with large pools that can be seen behind glass panels. There are large banks made of sand and rocks, where the reptiles can sunbathe.
In winter months, some artificial lights replace the weak natural enlightment.
In the first enclosure the pool is very deep (up to 4 m depth) and large (150 m²), it's the home of adults Saltwater Crocodiles Crocodylus porosus (1.2). The male ZEPHYR and the females YARRA and ALICE are very good breeders, clutches are often recorded. In 2021, 141 young Crocodiles hatched.
Some piles of rotten leaves and sand offer a good place for the females to lay eggs.
The second enclosure have a smaller pond (up to 2 m depth, but most places are shallower) of 100 m². We can see there some of the young Crocs born in 2021 (10.8) before their transfer to other zoos and facilities.
The last enclosure (18) has a 350 m² surface, a pool of 160 m² and of 3 m depth, it was formerly the habitat of the False Gharials, but now we can see another groupe of young Saltwater Crocodiles born in 2020 (5.0).
All these exhibits allow to see the crocodilians in all the stages of their lifes.
It's possible to attend to daily feeding sessions for the crocs of all ages.
Adult Saltwater Crocodile :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Juvenile Saltwater Crocodile :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Saltwater Crocodile exhibit and pool :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
Out of the Bird House, we can see several aviaries on the sides of the building.
Some of them existed already in 2020, other have been built meanwhile to house some rare species with very special requirements.
The two largest exhibits (that I will describe today) existed already in 2020, both have 150 m² (19-20). They are filled with bamboo, bushes, trees and perches, and fenced with mesh.
The first aviary is the home of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus (1.1), these birds are the only representents of the species that remain in the Zoo (the other, that lived in the main Bird House and in the Asian Wetland Aviary, have left the park).
The second hosts a new species, the Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis (2.0). These birds are young brothers, they live for now here, before the possible arrival of one or more females to form breeding pairs.
Green Peafowl :
(Credits : toto98)
Great Hornbill :
(Credits : Therabu)
Great Hornbill aviary :
(Credits : Moebelle)
In the next days I'll describe the last aviaries of the (Austral?)Asian Bird complex, most of them being newly realized.
I'd like to see your replies about this part of the South Asian Zone, the species displayed and the exhibits.
See you later !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today we reach the very last end of the South Asian Zone, with some aviaries showing some of the most mysterious and secretive birds of Papua, Melanesia and Polynesia.
The species aren't properly Asian, but as they live in tropical environments, their presence in the immediate surroundings of the Asian Bird House (mainly dedicated to Indo-Malayan species) remains consistent. The aviaries are also close to the beginning of the Oceanian Zone, that shows (in the first exhibits) typical birds of Australia, as cockatoos and kookaburras, that can share some common areas (like Papua-New Guinea and even the extreme Northern tip of Australia).
These aviaries are disposed on the sides of the Bird House, some of them are new realizations (built in 2021).
The aviaries have a narrow mesh fencing, they are quite dark, with a roof made of palms and bamboo sticks, and planted with lush vegetation, ferns and vines, so the birds can be difficult to see among the foliage, at least for some species. In the back sides of all the aviaries there are off-exhibit quarters to house the birds in bad weather days, or because of ethological reasons (especially the isolation of some males to prevent some conflicts).
The first arrivals of birds have recently happened.
The first aviary of this complex (21) has a 80 m² surface and hosts an emblem of the Papuan-New Guinean state, that appears even on the flag of this nation : the Red Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea rubra (0.2).
For now only 2 females have arrived but the arrival of at least a male is planned, if possible.
Bird-of-paradise aviary :
(Credits : German Zoo World)
The second aviary (22) is similar but a bit larger (135 m²), it hosts another bird-of-paradise species : the Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise Diphyllodes respublica (2.1), this species is currently unique in Europe.
As both sexes are represented, the special courtship and breeding of this stunning species may be occur for now.
Wilson Bird-of-Paradise :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
The following twin aviaries (23) have respectively 75 and 80 m² of surface.
Here we can see the following species :
I add that the Zoo is involved in a program of eradication of invasive land species in French Polynesia, joined to another program of coral reef and atoll conservation (see later, in the Aquarium Zone).
Satin Bowerbird :
(Credits : Hix)
We see now the last twin aviaries (24) that have 60 m² surface each.
In these aviaries the vegetation is scarcer and lower, because they are the home of a land bird already displayed in the previous version of the Zoo : the Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus (2.2).
In 2021 a young Kagu (0.1) have hatched.
The first aviary displays the breeding pair and their daughter, the second remains the home of the young male born in 2020.
Kagu :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Kagu aviary :
(Credits : TheoV)
The South Asian Zone is now over.
I hope you have enjoyed this part of the Zoo, I wait your replies about the general design of this zone, the choice of exhibits and species, some suggestions for improvements...
I'll meet you in the Oceanian Zone in the coming days !
Stay in touch !
today we reach the very last end of the South Asian Zone, with some aviaries showing some of the most mysterious and secretive birds of Papua, Melanesia and Polynesia.
The species aren't properly Asian, but as they live in tropical environments, their presence in the immediate surroundings of the Asian Bird House (mainly dedicated to Indo-Malayan species) remains consistent. The aviaries are also close to the beginning of the Oceanian Zone, that shows (in the first exhibits) typical birds of Australia, as cockatoos and kookaburras, that can share some common areas (like Papua-New Guinea and even the extreme Northern tip of Australia).
These aviaries are disposed on the sides of the Bird House, some of them are new realizations (built in 2021).
The aviaries have a narrow mesh fencing, they are quite dark, with a roof made of palms and bamboo sticks, and planted with lush vegetation, ferns and vines, so the birds can be difficult to see among the foliage, at least for some species. In the back sides of all the aviaries there are off-exhibit quarters to house the birds in bad weather days, or because of ethological reasons (especially the isolation of some males to prevent some conflicts).
The first arrivals of birds have recently happened.
The first aviary of this complex (21) has a 80 m² surface and hosts an emblem of the Papuan-New Guinean state, that appears even on the flag of this nation : the Red Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea rubra (0.2).
For now only 2 females have arrived but the arrival of at least a male is planned, if possible.
Bird-of-paradise aviary :
(Credits : German Zoo World)
The second aviary (22) is similar but a bit larger (135 m²), it hosts another bird-of-paradise species : the Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise Diphyllodes respublica (2.1), this species is currently unique in Europe.
As both sexes are represented, the special courtship and breeding of this stunning species may be occur for now.
Wilson Bird-of-Paradise :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
The following twin aviaries (23) have respectively 75 and 80 m² of surface.
Here we can see the following species :
- Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus (2.0), unique in Europe
- Ultramarine Lorikeet Vini ultramarina (2.0), unique in Europe
I add that the Zoo is involved in a program of eradication of invasive land species in French Polynesia, joined to another program of coral reef and atoll conservation (see later, in the Aquarium Zone).
Satin Bowerbird :
(Credits : Hix)
We see now the last twin aviaries (24) that have 60 m² surface each.
In these aviaries the vegetation is scarcer and lower, because they are the home of a land bird already displayed in the previous version of the Zoo : the Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus (2.2).
In 2021 a young Kagu (0.1) have hatched.
The first aviary displays the breeding pair and their daughter, the second remains the home of the young male born in 2020.
Kagu :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Kagu aviary :
(Credits : TheoV)
The South Asian Zone is now over.
I hope you have enjoyed this part of the Zoo, I wait your replies about the general design of this zone, the choice of exhibits and species, some suggestions for improvements...
I'll meet you in the Oceanian Zone in the coming days !
Stay in touch !
Last edited:
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I describe now the fantastic Oceanian Zone of my Absolute Zoo.
This zone hosts a lot of mammalian and bird species of this part of the world, includind exceptionnally rare species (at least in European zoos).
Some changes have happened since 2021, with new enclosures, designs and species.
Here's the map of the zone, you can have a glimpse of the displayed species :
It begins with the Dreamtime Walkway, among many aviaries and artefacts made by Aboriginal artists. This path is planted with eucalyptus trees.
First, as the Cassowaries have left the park, their enclosures have been removed from the Oceanian Zone (you can see Lowland Anoas instead).
The sector begins with many parrot and bird aviaries, and especially the Cockatoo complex.
In the first unit of aviaries the first one (1) hasn't changed (310 m²) and remains the home of Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus (2.3), the other ones have been lumped to form a new 270 m² aviary (2) for a new species, the Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum (1.0), that's rare in European zoos and declining in the wild.
For now a single male has come, but the arrival of at least a female is hoped during this year.
The former duet of female Galahs, a common and not-threatened species, has left the Zoo, as the White Cockatoos (albeit this species is rare and threatened in the wild).
The aviaries have 4 m high, and are fenced with medium width mesh.
As these large parrots are destructive, their aviaries are planted only with a few non-edible plants.
Instead there are many branches and hollow stumps.
The soil is made of mulch and sand.
A building contains the night quarters, that are also used to house the birds when the weather is really unclement.
The Zoo still supports its program of combating poaching and bird trapping in Eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste, threats that endanger many parrot species that are valuable in domestic and international markets.
Along with the program of ecosystem restoration carried in the Philippines (see earlier), these actions reinforce a strong involvement of the Zoo for bird conservation in South-East Asia.
Palm Cockatoo :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Palm Cockatoo aviary :
(Credits : Otter Lord)
Gang-gang Cockatoo :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
The next aviaries have been lumped to form a 210 m² aviary (3), to house the family group of Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita galerita (1.3) : a breeding pair and 2 young females hatched in 2020.
Even if this species is common in the wild and in captivity, this bird remains one of the most popular species of parrots.
Conversely, the rearing of the Salmon-crested Cockatoos has been abandoned for now.
The design of these aviaries looks like the design of the large cockatoo aviaries, but their height is lower, only 3 m.
The central building that includes the night quarters remains, but the birds can cross it to go to either the one or the other part of the aviary.
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The next aviaries (4-5) are dedicated to Australian parakeets, that are common in the European zoos.
These aviaries have a 75 m² surface each ; both have a large clear space to allow the flight of the birds, and a few perches and small nest boxes. The soil is made of sand.
In the back of the aviaries there are a few rooms that play a role of night quarters for the birds.
The species displayed in these aviaries are the following :
Bourke's Parrot :
(Credits : birdsandbats)
Bourke's Parrots' aviary :
(Credits : devilfish)
Crimson Rosella :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Crimson Rosellas' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The next aviary (6) has a 240 m² surface and is much more vegetalized.
It's the home of the Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae (1.2) : a breeding pair and one of their daughters that hatched in 2020 (her siblings have been transferred to other parks).
The emblematic status of this bird in Australie, and its sense of adaptation to modern human-made environments, are explained near this aviary.
Laughing Kookaburra :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Laughing Kookaburra aviary :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
In the next aviary (7), that have a surface of 250 m², the general design has been maintened but the extremely common Budgies have been removed.
This aviary has a mesh fencing, and a sandy soil, it's filled with some trunks and perches, but no live plants because of the potentially destructive behaviour of their (new) dwellers, the Magpie Lark Grallina cyanoleuca (0.3). This species is new for the Zoo and unique in Europe.
As the Laughing Kookaburra, it's an extremely intelligent and adaptative birds, some panels disposed near the aviary explain it.
Magpie Lark :
(Credits : Hix)
We continue our visit of the Dreamtime Walkway, to see another aviary (8), that has a 250 m² surface and has remained unchanged since 2021.
The occupant of this aviary is the Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii (1.1) ; one of the formerly displayed females has been changed for a male, to start perhaps the breeding of the species.
The aviary is extremely similar to the Laughing Kookaburras' aviary previously described.
Blue-winged Kookaburra :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Blue-winged Kookaburra aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The last aviary of the row (9) has a 160 m² surface : it hosts the Boobook Owl Ninox boobook (1.2) ; this species has been mislabeled for the New Zealander Morepork (both were historically lumped in the same taxon), but they belong to the Australian species, that isn't very rare in European zoos.
A male has reached the duet of female Owls previously present.
The lush vegetation of the aviary makes sometimes the sightings of the birds difficult.
Boobook Owl :
(Credits : KevinB)
Boobook Owls' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
In the next days I'll describe the first mammal enclosures of the Oceanian Zone, plus the impressive Australasian House, that includes new species addings.
Now you can comment the first part of the Zone, the exhibits and the species displayed.
Stay in touch !
I describe now the fantastic Oceanian Zone of my Absolute Zoo.
This zone hosts a lot of mammalian and bird species of this part of the world, includind exceptionnally rare species (at least in European zoos).
Some changes have happened since 2021, with new enclosures, designs and species.
Here's the map of the zone, you can have a glimpse of the displayed species :
It begins with the Dreamtime Walkway, among many aviaries and artefacts made by Aboriginal artists. This path is planted with eucalyptus trees.
First, as the Cassowaries have left the park, their enclosures have been removed from the Oceanian Zone (you can see Lowland Anoas instead).
The sector begins with many parrot and bird aviaries, and especially the Cockatoo complex.
In the first unit of aviaries the first one (1) hasn't changed (310 m²) and remains the home of Palm Cockatoos Probosciger aterrimus (2.3), the other ones have been lumped to form a new 270 m² aviary (2) for a new species, the Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum (1.0), that's rare in European zoos and declining in the wild.
For now a single male has come, but the arrival of at least a female is hoped during this year.
The former duet of female Galahs, a common and not-threatened species, has left the Zoo, as the White Cockatoos (albeit this species is rare and threatened in the wild).
The aviaries have 4 m high, and are fenced with medium width mesh.
As these large parrots are destructive, their aviaries are planted only with a few non-edible plants.
Instead there are many branches and hollow stumps.
The soil is made of mulch and sand.
A building contains the night quarters, that are also used to house the birds when the weather is really unclement.
The Zoo still supports its program of combating poaching and bird trapping in Eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste, threats that endanger many parrot species that are valuable in domestic and international markets.
Along with the program of ecosystem restoration carried in the Philippines (see earlier), these actions reinforce a strong involvement of the Zoo for bird conservation in South-East Asia.
Palm Cockatoo :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Palm Cockatoo aviary :
(Credits : Otter Lord)
Gang-gang Cockatoo :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
The next aviaries have been lumped to form a 210 m² aviary (3), to house the family group of Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Cacatua galerita galerita (1.3) : a breeding pair and 2 young females hatched in 2020.
Even if this species is common in the wild and in captivity, this bird remains one of the most popular species of parrots.
Conversely, the rearing of the Salmon-crested Cockatoos has been abandoned for now.
The design of these aviaries looks like the design of the large cockatoo aviaries, but their height is lower, only 3 m.
The central building that includes the night quarters remains, but the birds can cross it to go to either the one or the other part of the aviary.
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The next aviaries (4-5) are dedicated to Australian parakeets, that are common in the European zoos.
These aviaries have a 75 m² surface each ; both have a large clear space to allow the flight of the birds, and a few perches and small nest boxes. The soil is made of sand.
In the back of the aviaries there are a few rooms that play a role of night quarters for the birds.
The species displayed in these aviaries are the following :
- 4) Bourke's Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii (1.6)
- 5) Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans (2.2)
Bourke's Parrot :
(Credits : birdsandbats)
Bourke's Parrots' aviary :
(Credits : devilfish)
Crimson Rosella :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Crimson Rosellas' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The next aviary (6) has a 240 m² surface and is much more vegetalized.
It's the home of the Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae (1.2) : a breeding pair and one of their daughters that hatched in 2020 (her siblings have been transferred to other parks).
The emblematic status of this bird in Australie, and its sense of adaptation to modern human-made environments, are explained near this aviary.
Laughing Kookaburra :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Laughing Kookaburra aviary :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
In the next aviary (7), that have a surface of 250 m², the general design has been maintened but the extremely common Budgies have been removed.
This aviary has a mesh fencing, and a sandy soil, it's filled with some trunks and perches, but no live plants because of the potentially destructive behaviour of their (new) dwellers, the Magpie Lark Grallina cyanoleuca (0.3). This species is new for the Zoo and unique in Europe.
As the Laughing Kookaburra, it's an extremely intelligent and adaptative birds, some panels disposed near the aviary explain it.
Magpie Lark :
(Credits : Hix)
We continue our visit of the Dreamtime Walkway, to see another aviary (8), that has a 250 m² surface and has remained unchanged since 2021.
The occupant of this aviary is the Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii (1.1) ; one of the formerly displayed females has been changed for a male, to start perhaps the breeding of the species.
The aviary is extremely similar to the Laughing Kookaburras' aviary previously described.
Blue-winged Kookaburra :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Blue-winged Kookaburra aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The last aviary of the row (9) has a 160 m² surface : it hosts the Boobook Owl Ninox boobook (1.2) ; this species has been mislabeled for the New Zealander Morepork (both were historically lumped in the same taxon), but they belong to the Australian species, that isn't very rare in European zoos.
A male has reached the duet of female Owls previously present.
The lush vegetation of the aviary makes sometimes the sightings of the birds difficult.
Boobook Owl :
(Credits : KevinB)
Boobook Owls' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
In the next days I'll describe the first mammal enclosures of the Oceanian Zone, plus the impressive Australasian House, that includes new species addings.
Now you can comment the first part of the Zone, the exhibits and the species displayed.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I continue my Oceanian Zone, with the first large enclosures of the Dreamtime Walkway, beginning with a large flat meadow (1.375 m²) with ray-grass, some trees to provide shade to the birds, a pond and bushes (10), where it's possible to see a single Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae (1.0). Only the male remains, given that the female died in 2021. The arrival of a partner is expected during this year.
The layout of the enclosure is quite basical, as this species hasn't special needs (except the aggressiveness of the bird that prevents the introduction of any other species).
Cape Barren Goose :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Cape Barren Goose exhibit :
(Credits : snowleopard)
The next enclosure (11) has a 1.490 m² surface, it's mainly a plain with grass and rocks, and a 4 m high rocky mound with a grotto inside in the central part of the enclosure.
It offers a mixed exhibit with a bird and a mammal species, both typical from the Australian bush :
I can add the plantation of palm trees around the enclosure for esthetical purposes (no direct interest for the animals).
In 2021, 1.0 Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby is born in the Zoo, while 0.1 adult has left the park.
Moreover, 1.0 Australian Bustard has joined the 2 females previously present, in a bid to start a breeding population of this species.
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby :
(Credits : WhistlingKite)
Australian Bustard :
(Credits : akasha)
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby & Bustard enclosure :
(Credits : akasha)
The following enclosure (12) is quite hilly, with lush vegetation and a creek.
Some stumps and grottoes provide hides to the animals, that nevertheless can be seen year-round as they can endure harsh climatic conditions. However some heating lamps have been disposed in the grottoes, and the animals can go in their night quarters, that are located in the beginning of the Australian Vivarium (I'll describe them later).
Even if it isn't very large (475 m²), the animals can be difficult to spot.
There are Tasmanian Devils Sarcophilus harrisii (3.3) in this exhibit.
It's a family group with a breeding pair (the male HOBART and the female HORTENSE) and 2.2 offspring born in 2020. As they aren't gregarious animals they go alternatively in the outside exhibit and in the indoor quarters (either the male, the female, or the 4 young together).
Of course the issues of Tasmanian Devil conservation and of their successful reintroduction in mainland Australia are explained with panels and special talks near the enclosure.
Tasmanian Devils :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Tasmanian Devils' enclosure :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
In the next days I'll describe the Australian Vivarium in the details, beginning with the night quarters of the Tassies.
Now you can post your comments about the Oceanian Zone, and especially these three mammal and bird exhibits.
Stay in touch !
I continue my Oceanian Zone, with the first large enclosures of the Dreamtime Walkway, beginning with a large flat meadow (1.375 m²) with ray-grass, some trees to provide shade to the birds, a pond and bushes (10), where it's possible to see a single Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae (1.0). Only the male remains, given that the female died in 2021. The arrival of a partner is expected during this year.
The layout of the enclosure is quite basical, as this species hasn't special needs (except the aggressiveness of the bird that prevents the introduction of any other species).
Cape Barren Goose :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Cape Barren Goose exhibit :
(Credits : snowleopard)
The next enclosure (11) has a 1.490 m² surface, it's mainly a plain with grass and rocks, and a 4 m high rocky mound with a grotto inside in the central part of the enclosure.
It offers a mixed exhibit with a bird and a mammal species, both typical from the Australian bush :
- Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby Petrogale xanthopus (3.4)
- Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis (1.2), this species is unique in Europe.
I can add the plantation of palm trees around the enclosure for esthetical purposes (no direct interest for the animals).
In 2021, 1.0 Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby is born in the Zoo, while 0.1 adult has left the park.
Moreover, 1.0 Australian Bustard has joined the 2 females previously present, in a bid to start a breeding population of this species.
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby :
(Credits : WhistlingKite)
Australian Bustard :
(Credits : akasha)
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby & Bustard enclosure :
(Credits : akasha)
The following enclosure (12) is quite hilly, with lush vegetation and a creek.
Some stumps and grottoes provide hides to the animals, that nevertheless can be seen year-round as they can endure harsh climatic conditions. However some heating lamps have been disposed in the grottoes, and the animals can go in their night quarters, that are located in the beginning of the Australian Vivarium (I'll describe them later).
Even if it isn't very large (475 m²), the animals can be difficult to spot.
There are Tasmanian Devils Sarcophilus harrisii (3.3) in this exhibit.
It's a family group with a breeding pair (the male HOBART and the female HORTENSE) and 2.2 offspring born in 2020. As they aren't gregarious animals they go alternatively in the outside exhibit and in the indoor quarters (either the male, the female, or the 4 young together).
Of course the issues of Tasmanian Devil conservation and of their successful reintroduction in mainland Australia are explained with panels and special talks near the enclosure.
Tasmanian Devils :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Tasmanian Devils' enclosure :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
In the next days I'll describe the Australian Vivarium in the details, beginning with the night quarters of the Tassies.
Now you can post your comments about the Oceanian Zone, and especially these three mammal and bird exhibits.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today I describe the Australian Vivarium and some of the subsequent exhibits of the Oceanian Zone.
The general map and layout of the Australian Vivarium haven't changed since 2021, I'll show this version of the map :
The Vivarium shows still some of the most secretive and bizarre inhabitants of Australia and of the neighbouring islands. Most of them are unique in European zoos.
The first exhibits (A-B-C) are still the night quarters for the Tasmanian Devils.
The 2 first enclosures have 18 m² surface each, the last is larger (30 m²).
These enclosures have sand and mulch in the soil, with rocks, stumps and straw to allow the hiding of the animals. A few giant ferns have been planted in these enclosures.
They are also used to isolate the young and/or each parent when the other ones are outside.
Interactive panels complete the exhibit, offering a playful way to know more about the features of these unique marsupials and about their conservation.
There's the project to generalize such panels across other places of the Zoo, especially indoor.
Night quarters of the Tasmanian Devils :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
We pass a door and come in the night sector (Nocturama) of the Vivarium.
All the exhibits are dark with a few spotlights, that make difficult any attempt of photograph, but allowing the sighting of the most discreet animals, on the ground or in the middle of a labyrinth of branches and trunks.
In the first enclosure (D) of 20 m², we can see a species unique in Europe for now, the Common Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata (2.5).
These animals can hide in nest boxes and climb in thick branches.
1.0 Common Striped Possum has reached the initial group in late 2021.
Common Striped Possum :
(Credits : dormitator)
The second enclosure of the Noctarium (E) has a 50 m² surface.
It's the home of the single Tasmanian Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus (0.1) "ELLIE", also belonging to a species unique in European zoos.
She can hide in the boxes, stumps, hollow rocks and even in the soil, made of mulch and clay, making her sighting quite difficult.
The arrival of a companion has been planned but hasn't yet happened.
Tasmanian Echidna :
(Credits : jbnbsn99)
Echidna exhibit :
(Credits : TNT)
In the next enclosure (F), that has a 20 m² surface and is mainly arboreal, the Short-tailed Spotted Cuscuses are gone in 2021.
They have been replaced by a critically endangered and unique in Europe species, the Leadbeater's Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri (5.3).
The newly arrived group has a huge importance for conservation, as they represent some of the rare individuals that live outside of Australia, and should take part of a breeding program.
Leadbeater's Possum :
(Credits : Najade)
Leadbeater's Possums' enclosure :
(Credits : Najade)
The next enclosure (G) has a small surface (15 m²) but it is the home of one of the strangest (and less-known!) marsupial species, the Honey Possum Tarsipes rostratus (3.3).
This species is also unique in Europe, and extremely rare in zoos even in Australia.
The Zoo has managed to breed a small colony (0.2 individuals have reached the group in late 2021), feeding them with nectar (like the hummingbirds and some fruit bats).
The feeding behaviour of the Honey Possums [personnally, my favourite marsupial species!] can be seen easily in the Zoo, providing extremely interesting scenes.
Honey Possum :
(Credits : Najade)
The next enclosure (H), designed on the model of the Echidna exhibit, displayed formerly (breeding!) Southern Brown Kiwis but it's now empty, waiting for a refurbishing and maybe a new species.
We go out of the Noctarium, in the last part of the building where we can see a former exhibit for Tree Kangaroos (I) that has a surface of 45 m².
We can see here another species unique in Europe, but this time it's a bat : the Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto gouldii (6.8).
This small flock represents another new species for the Zoo, whose arrival was expected since 2020, but haven't happened until next year.
They are survivors of a culling operation, led by farmers because of damage on tropical fruit crops.
The bats can usually be seen hanging upside down, on ropes, wire mesh and metallic perches on the top of the aviary.
But in the evening it may be possible to see them flying and eating fruits and flowers on the feeders disposed on stumps.
The soil is made of mulch.
All the gear that was used by the Tree Kangaroos has been removed.
Black Flying Foxes :
(Credits : AWP)
The former Outback Cafe (J), small and uncomfortable, has been closed and moved in another place. Nothing has replaced it yet. Maybe a reptile exhibit can be realized in this place.
We are now out of the Australian Vivarium.
At our right we can see a newly developed pool with a rocky 8-m high cliff with holes and burrows, and even small grassy zones (14).
The entire exhibit has 495 m² and is mainly dedicated (as planned last year!) for a species of Oceanian penguin ; these birds are extremely rare, if not absent, in European zoos.
In this exceptional exhibit we can see the following bird species :
The Gannets are injured birds, that cannot anymore be released in the wild.
Near this enclosure there are informative panels about the issues of invasive species, global warming and overfishing in Subantarctic waters, and about the solutions implemented in the Southern Oceans and supported by the Zoo (anti-bycatch devices on the fishing vessels, removing of rats and mice on the islands, no-fishing zones around them...).
Australasian Gannet :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
On the other side we can see anew tropical species, beginning with the Black Flying Foxes that have an outdoor enclosure of 540 m² (15) where the Bats can fly in summer evenings and nights, after have crossed a bridge from the indoor exhibit. There's a net above the enclosure, formerly used by Tree Kangaroos. A rich vegetation provide shade for the bats above the aviary.
Such an exhibit is very rare in Europe, although they can be seen in other continents.
Outdoor enclosure of the Black Flying Foxes :
(Credits : devilfish)
The next exhibit (16) has 730 m² and looks much more desertic.
Previously the home of Red-billed Pademelons, it displays now Australian Bustards Ardeotis australis (0.2).
This duet of females has arrived in the Zoo in late 2021, and they wait for the arrival of a male, planned for late 2022 or early 2023.
We can see now the largest exhibit of the Australian Zone (17), a 5.000 m² grassy and sandy plain with a few trees, that's dedicated to the most iconic and conspicuous species of the Zone, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus (1.3).
Formerly the Zoo had only females but 1 male came in 2021 (with the departure of 3 females) and they bred successfully, producing 0.1 young in the last months of this year.
Now the Kangaroo mob is composed of :
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Eastern Grey Kangaroos' enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
The former Wombats enclosures have been dismantled in 2021, replaced by a service area with the Outback restaurant designed like an Australian ranch (A), a toilet block (B) with even some panels indicating the presence of snakes and spiders (!) and a child playground with an Aboriginal theme (C).
The following animal exhibit is the Billabong (18), a 2.260 plain that represents the "humid" ecosystems of Australia. It includes a shallow lake (max. 1 m depth) with islands, reedbeds and grassy sectors. Dead trees provide perches for some of the birds, and nest platforms have been implemented on the islands.
It's dedicated to several species of Australian birds :
The Australian Billabong :
(Credits : Elephantelephant)
Little Pied Cormorant :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Australian Pelican :
(Credits : Therabu)
White-faced Heron :
(Credits : DaLilFishie)
Australian Shelduck :
(Credits : WhistligKite24)
We close this Oceanian Zone with a large bird of prey aviary of 1.235 m² (19) on the model of the Pallas Sea Eagle aviary previously described.
The Wedge-tailed Eagles have left the Zoo in 2021, and have been replaced by White-bellied Sea Eagles Haliaeetus leucogaster (0.2), a species rare in European zoos.
The displayed birds are young sisters, unable to breed for now.
White-bellied Sea Eagle :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
The Oceanian Zone is now over.
In the next days I'll describe the largest zone of my Zoo, dedicated to Africa.
You can now post your comments about the Oceanian Zone, its exhibits, the species displayed and even your suggestions.
See you later !
today I describe the Australian Vivarium and some of the subsequent exhibits of the Oceanian Zone.
The general map and layout of the Australian Vivarium haven't changed since 2021, I'll show this version of the map :
The Vivarium shows still some of the most secretive and bizarre inhabitants of Australia and of the neighbouring islands. Most of them are unique in European zoos.
The first exhibits (A-B-C) are still the night quarters for the Tasmanian Devils.
The 2 first enclosures have 18 m² surface each, the last is larger (30 m²).
These enclosures have sand and mulch in the soil, with rocks, stumps and straw to allow the hiding of the animals. A few giant ferns have been planted in these enclosures.
They are also used to isolate the young and/or each parent when the other ones are outside.
Interactive panels complete the exhibit, offering a playful way to know more about the features of these unique marsupials and about their conservation.
There's the project to generalize such panels across other places of the Zoo, especially indoor.
Night quarters of the Tasmanian Devils :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
We pass a door and come in the night sector (Nocturama) of the Vivarium.
All the exhibits are dark with a few spotlights, that make difficult any attempt of photograph, but allowing the sighting of the most discreet animals, on the ground or in the middle of a labyrinth of branches and trunks.
In the first enclosure (D) of 20 m², we can see a species unique in Europe for now, the Common Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata (2.5).
These animals can hide in nest boxes and climb in thick branches.
1.0 Common Striped Possum has reached the initial group in late 2021.
Common Striped Possum :
(Credits : dormitator)
The second enclosure of the Noctarium (E) has a 50 m² surface.
It's the home of the single Tasmanian Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus (0.1) "ELLIE", also belonging to a species unique in European zoos.
She can hide in the boxes, stumps, hollow rocks and even in the soil, made of mulch and clay, making her sighting quite difficult.
The arrival of a companion has been planned but hasn't yet happened.
Tasmanian Echidna :
(Credits : jbnbsn99)
Echidna exhibit :
(Credits : TNT)
In the next enclosure (F), that has a 20 m² surface and is mainly arboreal, the Short-tailed Spotted Cuscuses are gone in 2021.
They have been replaced by a critically endangered and unique in Europe species, the Leadbeater's Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri (5.3).
The newly arrived group has a huge importance for conservation, as they represent some of the rare individuals that live outside of Australia, and should take part of a breeding program.
Leadbeater's Possum :
(Credits : Najade)
Leadbeater's Possums' enclosure :
(Credits : Najade)
The next enclosure (G) has a small surface (15 m²) but it is the home of one of the strangest (and less-known!) marsupial species, the Honey Possum Tarsipes rostratus (3.3).
This species is also unique in Europe, and extremely rare in zoos even in Australia.
The Zoo has managed to breed a small colony (0.2 individuals have reached the group in late 2021), feeding them with nectar (like the hummingbirds and some fruit bats).
The feeding behaviour of the Honey Possums [personnally, my favourite marsupial species!] can be seen easily in the Zoo, providing extremely interesting scenes.
Honey Possum :
(Credits : Najade)
The next enclosure (H), designed on the model of the Echidna exhibit, displayed formerly (breeding!) Southern Brown Kiwis but it's now empty, waiting for a refurbishing and maybe a new species.
We go out of the Noctarium, in the last part of the building where we can see a former exhibit for Tree Kangaroos (I) that has a surface of 45 m².
We can see here another species unique in Europe, but this time it's a bat : the Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto gouldii (6.8).
This small flock represents another new species for the Zoo, whose arrival was expected since 2020, but haven't happened until next year.
They are survivors of a culling operation, led by farmers because of damage on tropical fruit crops.
The bats can usually be seen hanging upside down, on ropes, wire mesh and metallic perches on the top of the aviary.
But in the evening it may be possible to see them flying and eating fruits and flowers on the feeders disposed on stumps.
The soil is made of mulch.
All the gear that was used by the Tree Kangaroos has been removed.
Black Flying Foxes :
(Credits : AWP)
The former Outback Cafe (J), small and uncomfortable, has been closed and moved in another place. Nothing has replaced it yet. Maybe a reptile exhibit can be realized in this place.
We are now out of the Australian Vivarium.
At our right we can see a newly developed pool with a rocky 8-m high cliff with holes and burrows, and even small grassy zones (14).
The entire exhibit has 495 m² and is mainly dedicated (as planned last year!) for a species of Oceanian penguin ; these birds are extremely rare, if not absent, in European zoos.
In this exceptional exhibit we can see the following bird species :
- Snares Penguin Eudyptes robustus (6.4)
- Australasian Gannet Morus serrator (4.2)
The Gannets are injured birds, that cannot anymore be released in the wild.
Near this enclosure there are informative panels about the issues of invasive species, global warming and overfishing in Subantarctic waters, and about the solutions implemented in the Southern Oceans and supported by the Zoo (anti-bycatch devices on the fishing vessels, removing of rats and mice on the islands, no-fishing zones around them...).
Australasian Gannet :
(Credits : Chlidonias)
On the other side we can see anew tropical species, beginning with the Black Flying Foxes that have an outdoor enclosure of 540 m² (15) where the Bats can fly in summer evenings and nights, after have crossed a bridge from the indoor exhibit. There's a net above the enclosure, formerly used by Tree Kangaroos. A rich vegetation provide shade for the bats above the aviary.
Such an exhibit is very rare in Europe, although they can be seen in other continents.
Outdoor enclosure of the Black Flying Foxes :
(Credits : devilfish)
The next exhibit (16) has 730 m² and looks much more desertic.
Previously the home of Red-billed Pademelons, it displays now Australian Bustards Ardeotis australis (0.2).
This duet of females has arrived in the Zoo in late 2021, and they wait for the arrival of a male, planned for late 2022 or early 2023.
We can see now the largest exhibit of the Australian Zone (17), a 5.000 m² grassy and sandy plain with a few trees, that's dedicated to the most iconic and conspicuous species of the Zone, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus (1.3).
Formerly the Zoo had only females but 1 male came in 2021 (with the departure of 3 females) and they bred successfully, producing 0.1 young in the last months of this year.
Now the Kangaroo mob is composed of :
- SAM, the breeding male
- TAMARA and ULURU, the adult females
- VINA, young female born in 2021.
(Credits : WhistlingKite24)
Eastern Grey Kangaroos' enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
The former Wombats enclosures have been dismantled in 2021, replaced by a service area with the Outback restaurant designed like an Australian ranch (A), a toilet block (B) with even some panels indicating the presence of snakes and spiders (!) and a child playground with an Aboriginal theme (C).
The following animal exhibit is the Billabong (18), a 2.260 plain that represents the "humid" ecosystems of Australia. It includes a shallow lake (max. 1 m depth) with islands, reedbeds and grassy sectors. Dead trees provide perches for some of the birds, and nest platforms have been implemented on the islands.
It's dedicated to several species of Australian birds :
- Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos (6.2)
- Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus (1.4)
- White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae (5.2), new species for the Zoo
- Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides (1.0), new species for the Zoo
The Australian Billabong :
(Credits : Elephantelephant)
Little Pied Cormorant :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Australian Pelican :
(Credits : Therabu)
White-faced Heron :
(Credits : DaLilFishie)
Australian Shelduck :
(Credits : WhistligKite24)
We close this Oceanian Zone with a large bird of prey aviary of 1.235 m² (19) on the model of the Pallas Sea Eagle aviary previously described.
The Wedge-tailed Eagles have left the Zoo in 2021, and have been replaced by White-bellied Sea Eagles Haliaeetus leucogaster (0.2), a species rare in European zoos.
The displayed birds are young sisters, unable to breed for now.
White-bellied Sea Eagle :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
The Oceanian Zone is now over.
In the next days I'll describe the largest zone of my Zoo, dedicated to Africa.
You can now post your comments about the Oceanian Zone, its exhibits, the species displayed and even your suggestions.
See you later !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today I launch the description of the biggest zone of my Zoo, the African Zone.
Some major additions have happened in its map, including the departure of the Cheetahs, Hunting Dogs and Chimpanzees, and the building of a large Equatorial centre, dedicated to the fauna of the Congo basin and its conservation.
Map of the African Zone :
But let's start on the Mediterranean shores, on the threshold of the Saharan sector.
This sector is dedicated to species of the Mediterranean Africa, Sahara and even Arabian peninsula that shares many common features with Northern Africa.
At the beginning, several enclosures and an aviary are hidden in the middle of rocks.
Their ground is mainly sandy and rocky, with some succulent plants.
The first enclosure (1) has 510 m², it remains the home of Sand Cats Felis margarita (2.0), with the arrival of a second male. Our males are called GHADAMES and HAIFA.
These cats can enjoy a 3 m² high aviary, with some terraces and many hides, both natural (stumps) and artificial (pipes, earth pots). Sometimes, food is hung on feeders, providing an enrichment. Heating lamps offer more light and heat in winter months.
During the night or in winter, the cats can also go in off-exhibit quarters carved in the rock.
There are information panels about a monitoring program of Sand Cats in Southern Morocco.
It's possible to see the feeding sessions of the cats, when the keepers give them rats, mice or one-day chicks. The keepers explain the unique ecology of this species, and also its symbolic for the people of the deserts (according to some versions, even the cat of Muhammad, the queen "Muezza", was a sand cat!).
Sand Cat :
(Credits : Julio C Castro)
Sand Cat enclosure :
(Credits : Paul Kalisch)
Sand Cat night quarters (off-exhibit) :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
Near the Sand Cats, the next enclosure (2) hosted once a pair of Fennec Foxes but they have now left the Zoo.
It has a 490 m² surface and it's a mainly sandy den with grass and rock piles.
The animals can make large and deep burrows and retire in off-exhibit night quarters that are heated in winter.
Now the dwellers of the enclosure are Crested Porcupines Hystrix cristata (3.1) from Northern Africa (and Italy). A breeding pair came in the Zoo in 2021, and has produced 2.0 young, called "LUCA" and "MARCO", in the last months of the year.
Here we can learn a bit about the strange odyssey of these rodents, introduced in Italy by the Ancient Romans that prized its meat, and then established in all this peninsula as a real zoological curiosity for the European continent.
Crested Porcupine :
(Credits : Gil)
Crested Porcupines' den :
(Credits : Haasje)
The next exhibit (3) is the former Brown-necked Raven aviary.
This 190 m² exhibit has been revamped (especially with a more narrow fence) in the 2021-22 winter for smaller birds, rare in European zoos, that make a small colony and may breed in the future.
Desert Finch :
(Credits : alexkant)
White-crowned Wheatear :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Possible look of the Desert aviary (without the old, 19th-century, buildings above) :
(Credits : Bosjesman)
After the small and medium animals, we can see the 2 desert hoofstock enclosures (4-5).
Both are realized in a former quarry pit, they are sandy and flat, with night quarters carved in the rock.
The first one (4) has a 2.325 m² surface and hosts the herd of Dama Gazelles Nanger dama (4.5).
5 females have reached the Zoo, and it's hoped to have some young that could eventually be reintroduced as part of a reintroduction program in Morocco, supported by the Zoo.
Dama Gazelles :
(Credits : Forge)
Dama Gazelle enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
The second enclosure (5) is similar except the size (1.720 m²) surface and hosts a small herd of Mountain Gazelles Gazella gazella (3.4). They are unique in Europe for now, even if they are quite well-represented in the zoos of Arabian peninsula and Israel.
The herd hasn't bred yet, but the offspring may be released in a reintroduction project led in Lebanon and/or Jordan.
Mountain Gazelle :
(Credits : Maguari)
Mountain Gazelle enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
It's now the end of the North African subzone, we enter now in the Sahelian exhibits.
We are welcomed by a 3.065 m² rocky enclosure with many grottoes (6).
The rocky structure is very high and imposant (10 m²), it's the home of a troop of Hamadryas Baboons Papio hamadryas (3.8), including 0.2 twins born in 2021, called OPALE and PERLE.
The size of the structure is ideal for the social interactions of these primates, even to hide from the sight of the visitors (that's unusual for such a conspicuous species).
Hamadryas Baboon :
(Credits : evilmonkey239)
Hamadryas Baboons' enclosure :
(Credits : ThylacineAlive)
Near the Hamadryas' rock and the Three Continents' Square, there's an ice cream stand (A).
No interest for the animal collection, but it can be popular for the visitors.
Immediately after, a 290 m² rocky den (7) is occupied by a small group of Banded Mongooses Mungos mungo (1.4).
2.1 animals have left the Zoo in 2021, for another collection.
The animals can make burrows in the soil and hide in large stumps. Some trees planted in the middle of the enclosure provide shade in the hotter hours of the day.
Banded Mongoose :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Banded Mongooses' enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
In the following days I'll describe more enclosures, especially designed for large hoofstock, primates and birds of the tropical part of the continent.
Now you can post your comments and suggestions about this zone and the first enclosures and animals.
Stay in touch !
today I launch the description of the biggest zone of my Zoo, the African Zone.
Some major additions have happened in its map, including the departure of the Cheetahs, Hunting Dogs and Chimpanzees, and the building of a large Equatorial centre, dedicated to the fauna of the Congo basin and its conservation.
Map of the African Zone :
But let's start on the Mediterranean shores, on the threshold of the Saharan sector.
This sector is dedicated to species of the Mediterranean Africa, Sahara and even Arabian peninsula that shares many common features with Northern Africa.
At the beginning, several enclosures and an aviary are hidden in the middle of rocks.
Their ground is mainly sandy and rocky, with some succulent plants.
The first enclosure (1) has 510 m², it remains the home of Sand Cats Felis margarita (2.0), with the arrival of a second male. Our males are called GHADAMES and HAIFA.
These cats can enjoy a 3 m² high aviary, with some terraces and many hides, both natural (stumps) and artificial (pipes, earth pots). Sometimes, food is hung on feeders, providing an enrichment. Heating lamps offer more light and heat in winter months.
During the night or in winter, the cats can also go in off-exhibit quarters carved in the rock.
There are information panels about a monitoring program of Sand Cats in Southern Morocco.
It's possible to see the feeding sessions of the cats, when the keepers give them rats, mice or one-day chicks. The keepers explain the unique ecology of this species, and also its symbolic for the people of the deserts (according to some versions, even the cat of Muhammad, the queen "Muezza", was a sand cat!).
Sand Cat :
(Credits : Julio C Castro)
Sand Cat enclosure :
(Credits : Paul Kalisch)
Sand Cat night quarters (off-exhibit) :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
Near the Sand Cats, the next enclosure (2) hosted once a pair of Fennec Foxes but they have now left the Zoo.
It has a 490 m² surface and it's a mainly sandy den with grass and rock piles.
The animals can make large and deep burrows and retire in off-exhibit night quarters that are heated in winter.
Now the dwellers of the enclosure are Crested Porcupines Hystrix cristata (3.1) from Northern Africa (and Italy). A breeding pair came in the Zoo in 2021, and has produced 2.0 young, called "LUCA" and "MARCO", in the last months of the year.
Here we can learn a bit about the strange odyssey of these rodents, introduced in Italy by the Ancient Romans that prized its meat, and then established in all this peninsula as a real zoological curiosity for the European continent.
Crested Porcupine :
(Credits : Gil)
Crested Porcupines' den :
(Credits : Haasje)
The next exhibit (3) is the former Brown-necked Raven aviary.
This 190 m² exhibit has been revamped (especially with a more narrow fence) in the 2021-22 winter for smaller birds, rare in European zoos, that make a small colony and may breed in the future.
- Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta (1.1)
- White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga (5.2)
Desert Finch :
(Credits : alexkant)
White-crowned Wheatear :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Possible look of the Desert aviary (without the old, 19th-century, buildings above) :
(Credits : Bosjesman)
After the small and medium animals, we can see the 2 desert hoofstock enclosures (4-5).
Both are realized in a former quarry pit, they are sandy and flat, with night quarters carved in the rock.
The first one (4) has a 2.325 m² surface and hosts the herd of Dama Gazelles Nanger dama (4.5).
5 females have reached the Zoo, and it's hoped to have some young that could eventually be reintroduced as part of a reintroduction program in Morocco, supported by the Zoo.
Dama Gazelles :
(Credits : Forge)
Dama Gazelle enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
The second enclosure (5) is similar except the size (1.720 m²) surface and hosts a small herd of Mountain Gazelles Gazella gazella (3.4). They are unique in Europe for now, even if they are quite well-represented in the zoos of Arabian peninsula and Israel.
The herd hasn't bred yet, but the offspring may be released in a reintroduction project led in Lebanon and/or Jordan.
Mountain Gazelle :
(Credits : Maguari)
Mountain Gazelle enclosure :
(Credits : Maguari)
It's now the end of the North African subzone, we enter now in the Sahelian exhibits.
We are welcomed by a 3.065 m² rocky enclosure with many grottoes (6).
The rocky structure is very high and imposant (10 m²), it's the home of a troop of Hamadryas Baboons Papio hamadryas (3.8), including 0.2 twins born in 2021, called OPALE and PERLE.
The size of the structure is ideal for the social interactions of these primates, even to hide from the sight of the visitors (that's unusual for such a conspicuous species).
Hamadryas Baboon :
(Credits : evilmonkey239)
Hamadryas Baboons' enclosure :
(Credits : ThylacineAlive)
Near the Hamadryas' rock and the Three Continents' Square, there's an ice cream stand (A).
No interest for the animal collection, but it can be popular for the visitors.
Immediately after, a 290 m² rocky den (7) is occupied by a small group of Banded Mongooses Mungos mungo (1.4).
2.1 animals have left the Zoo in 2021, for another collection.
The animals can make burrows in the soil and hide in large stumps. Some trees planted in the middle of the enclosure provide shade in the hotter hours of the day.
Banded Mongoose :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Banded Mongooses' enclosure :
In the following days I'll describe more enclosures, especially designed for large hoofstock, primates and birds of the tropical part of the continent.
Now you can post your comments and suggestions about this zone and the first enclosures and animals.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I will release the description of the last Sahelian exhibits in the following days, but I would add that I think to a large mixed-species Saharan exhibit with flat and rocky zones, with one species of gazelle, dromedary camels, barbary sheep and even barbary macaques.
It would be completed as soon as 2023...
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I resume the description of the African Zone, with the last enclosure of the Sahelian sector (8), a plain of 1,11 ha that once was the home of the Asian Lions, then removed from the South Asian zone and converted into a hoofstock plain.
The platforms and wooden structures used by big cats have been removed, but the shallow (<1 m depth) pond remains, and elevated feeders have been disposed around the enclosure.
The night quarters are carved in the rock.
In this Nubian / Somalian plain we can see three ungulate species, all new in the Zoo :
The breeding herd of Scimitar-horned Oryxes (1 adult male, 2 females and the newborn) and a small bachelor group of the same species (2.0) are rotating between the main plain and paddocks near the night quarters.
Nubian Giraffe :
(Credits : Therabu)
Scimitar-horned Oryx :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Southern Lesser Kudu :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Nubian Plain :
(Credits : pachyderm pro)
We enter now in the Equatorial part of the African Zone, with islands for apes (Gorillas) and birds, and a night/winter building for Gorillas (9).
Gorilla Pavilion :
The design of this 600 m² building is very plain, with three 150 m² quarters that can be linked together and a corridor for the visitors along them, with information about a monitoring and conservation program led in the Parc national des Volcans (Rwanda) supported by the Zoo in favour of the rare Mountain Gorilla.
Some behavioral enrichment is provided for the primates like ropes, climbing structures and even maze-like feeders.
View of a Gorilla quarter :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
When the weather is clement, the Gorillas can be seen on the two main islands of this complex (10-11) that have respectively a surface of 1.810 and 2.210 m².
The species displayed is the Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla (2.0), practically the only species displayed in zoos worldwide in current times.
Two males, BAGA and DOGO, live in this complex, but the Bioko Crowned Monkeys once presented have left the Zoo.
The islands are forested and some climbing gear have been installed to offer the best possible conditions to the apes, that may stay as a bachelor group for many years (no breeding planned).
Western Lowland Gorilla :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
View of the Gorilla island :
(Credits : Shirokuma)
On the waterbeds around the islands, we can see diverse species of waterfowl, that can also go on a 70 m² island (12) where they are out of the reach of the primates, and can breed in good conditions.
We can see there the following species :
Great White Pelican :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
White-faced Whistling Ducks :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Egyptian Goose :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
African Pelican island :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Near this island area there's a large aviary (13) of 1.815 m², very vegetalized and designed for many water bird species. In the middle of it, there's a pond with shallow and deeper areas, lotuses and many reeds around, that offer hiding, resting and nesting places for the birds.
The birds can be seen from a wooden observation tower.
At the beginning of 2022, we can see here the following species :
Grey Crowned-crane :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Saddle-billed Stork :
(Credits : robreintjes)
Lesser Flamingo :
(Credits : Elephantlover)
African Finfoot :
(Credits : Hix)
African Aviary :
(Credits : felis silvestris)
For today, I'll finish the description with the largest aviary of a row dedicated to African medium- and large-sized raptors, crows and hornbills (14).
This aviary has 540 m² surface and is mainly grassy.
It's dedicated to Secretary Birds Sagittarius serpentarius (0.2). The male died in late 2021, the arrival of another male is planned, possibly changing it for one of the two females already present.
It's possible to see feeding sessions of the Secretary Birds. During these sessions the keepers explain the behaviour of this unique and endangered bird, and the conservation programs supported in favour of it in Kenya and South Africa.
Secretary Bird :
(Credits : KevinB)
Secretary Birds' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
In the following days I'll describe the next parts of the African Zone, with a lot of remaining enclosures and species of the Equatorial Subzone (that has substantially been extended since 2020!).
I wait now your comments and suggestions about the exhibits I've just described.
Stay in touch !
I resume the description of the African Zone, with the last enclosure of the Sahelian sector (8), a plain of 1,11 ha that once was the home of the Asian Lions, then removed from the South Asian zone and converted into a hoofstock plain.
The platforms and wooden structures used by big cats have been removed, but the shallow (<1 m depth) pond remains, and elevated feeders have been disposed around the enclosure.
The night quarters are carved in the rock.
In this Nubian / Somalian plain we can see three ungulate species, all new in the Zoo :
- Nubian Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis (2.0), this Giraffe subspecies is unique in Europe for now ;
- Scimitar-horned Oryx Oryx dammah (4.2)
- Southern Lesser Kudu Tragelaphus imberbis australis (1.0)
The breeding herd of Scimitar-horned Oryxes (1 adult male, 2 females and the newborn) and a small bachelor group of the same species (2.0) are rotating between the main plain and paddocks near the night quarters.
Nubian Giraffe :
(Credits : Therabu)
Scimitar-horned Oryx :
(Credits : Mo Hassan)
Southern Lesser Kudu :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Nubian Plain :
(Credits : pachyderm pro)
We enter now in the Equatorial part of the African Zone, with islands for apes (Gorillas) and birds, and a night/winter building for Gorillas (9).
Gorilla Pavilion :
The design of this 600 m² building is very plain, with three 150 m² quarters that can be linked together and a corridor for the visitors along them, with information about a monitoring and conservation program led in the Parc national des Volcans (Rwanda) supported by the Zoo in favour of the rare Mountain Gorilla.
Some behavioral enrichment is provided for the primates like ropes, climbing structures and even maze-like feeders.
View of a Gorilla quarter :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
When the weather is clement, the Gorillas can be seen on the two main islands of this complex (10-11) that have respectively a surface of 1.810 and 2.210 m².
The species displayed is the Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla (2.0), practically the only species displayed in zoos worldwide in current times.
Two males, BAGA and DOGO, live in this complex, but the Bioko Crowned Monkeys once presented have left the Zoo.
The islands are forested and some climbing gear have been installed to offer the best possible conditions to the apes, that may stay as a bachelor group for many years (no breeding planned).
Western Lowland Gorilla :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
View of the Gorilla island :
(Credits : Shirokuma)
On the waterbeds around the islands, we can see diverse species of waterfowl, that can also go on a 70 m² island (12) where they are out of the reach of the primates, and can breed in good conditions.
We can see there the following species :
- Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (3.4)
- White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata (12.5)
- Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca (5.0)
Great White Pelican :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
White-faced Whistling Ducks :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Egyptian Goose :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
African Pelican island :
(Credits : vogelcommando)
Near this island area there's a large aviary (13) of 1.815 m², very vegetalized and designed for many water bird species. In the middle of it, there's a pond with shallow and deeper areas, lotuses and many reeds around, that offer hiding, resting and nesting places for the birds.
The birds can be seen from a wooden observation tower.
At the beginning of 2022, we can see here the following species :
- Grey Crowned-crane Balearica regulorum (0.1)
- Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis (3.4)
- Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor (8.2)
- African Finfoot Podica senegalensis (1.4), this species is unique in European zoos.
Grey Crowned-crane :
(Credits : Haliaeetus)
Saddle-billed Stork :
(Credits : robreintjes)
Lesser Flamingo :
(Credits : Elephantlover)
African Finfoot :
(Credits : Hix)
African Aviary :
(Credits : felis silvestris)
For today, I'll finish the description with the largest aviary of a row dedicated to African medium- and large-sized raptors, crows and hornbills (14).
This aviary has 540 m² surface and is mainly grassy.
It's dedicated to Secretary Birds Sagittarius serpentarius (0.2). The male died in late 2021, the arrival of another male is planned, possibly changing it for one of the two females already present.
It's possible to see feeding sessions of the Secretary Birds. During these sessions the keepers explain the behaviour of this unique and endangered bird, and the conservation programs supported in favour of it in Kenya and South Africa.
Secretary Bird :
(Credits : KevinB)
Secretary Birds' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
In the following days I'll describe the next parts of the African Zone, with a lot of remaining enclosures and species of the Equatorial Subzone (that has substantially been extended since 2020!).
I wait now your comments and suggestions about the exhibits I've just described.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Hello,
today I describe the row of aviaries for African large birds. These aviaries remain roughly unchanged since 2021 but the species collection has experienced some changes, as well as the conservation projects supported by the Zoo.
The aviaries are covered with mesh, and large poles support the structures. They can either be vegetalized or barren, desert-like.
The first aviary (15) is 320 m² large and mainly rocky with a few perches and nest platforms. It doesn't host a large bird of prey but a species that was once among the most threatened in the planet : the Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus (2.2). This species is currently unique in Europe.
We hope that one of the two pairs would breed in the following years, the offspring being reintroduced to reinforce a fragile population in the wild.
Additionnally the Zoo supports a conservation project of the birds of Mauritius, an island that count many conservation successes ; several birds have been rescued from the very brink of extinction, escaping the fate of the Dodo (that remains paradoxically the national bird of the country).
Mauritius Kestrel :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
The second exhibit (16) has a surface of 320 m² and was formerly the home of Eastern Imperial Eagles. Now the species has left the Zoo, and the aviary is occupied by the Crowned Hawk-Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus (2.0).
These brothers live in a quite vegetalized aviary, with medium-sized trees.
Crowned Hawk-Eagle :
(Credits : litteraturezoologique)
Crowned Hawk-Eagle aviary :
(Credits : HOMIN96)
In the following aviary (17), that's 225 m² large, there are a rocky cliff and some shrubs, to host a typical Sahelian species : the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus (1.1).
The Zoo continues to support a festival led in Senegal to raise the interest of the public for this declining bird.
The pair displayed in the Zoo is quite confident, that isn't the case everywhere they are displayed.
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill :
(Credits : Mr Gharial)
Abyssinian Ground Hornbills' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The following aviary (18) has a 235 m² surface and is mainly planted with grasses.
There are a few perches on the upper part of the aviary.
It's the home of a critically endangered species, the White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (1.2).
One male has been changed for a female, arrived in late 2021.
The Pied Crows, that shared their exhibit in the past, have now left the Zoo.
The Zoo supports now a conservation program dedicated to combat the poisoning of carcasses in Zambia, one of the main drivers of vulture decline in Subsaharan Africa in the last years.
White-headed Vulture :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
White-headed Vultures' aviary :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
The next aviary (19) has a surface of 210 m² and is mainly desertical ; it's obviously dedicated to a desert species : the Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami (3.1).
Denham's Bustard :
(Credits : Jogy)
Denham's Bustards' aviary :
(Credits : Hix)
We are now in the second part of the row of aviaries, the first of the exhibits (20) is dedicated to another Bustard species, the White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis (4.2).
The Black-headed Herons that shared their exhibit have left the park in early 2021, that has allowed the Bustards (group of 3.1 adults, a female being introduced in the aviary in the same time) to have a breeding behaviour, producing 1.1 offspring in 2021.
The aviary is planted with shrub vegetation, the former heron pond has been dried up and filled with sand.
White-bellied Bustard :
(Credits : Ituri)
White-bellied Bustard aviary (look of a small part of the exhibit) :
(Credits : fkalltheway)
The next aviary (21) has a 230 m² surface and offers a barren landscape ; it was the former Bateleur exhibit but we can see now a species that was historically displayed in the Saharan sector : the Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis (5.2).
Additionnally 2.1 birds have reached this small flock in 2021.
Brown-necked Raven :
(Credits : alexkant)
Raven aviary :
(Credits : Mr.Weasel)
We approach now the end of the row and can see a new species in a 165 m² aviary (22), historically the home of a Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk (that has been transferred in a falconry), now replaced by Cape Eagle-owl Bubo capensis (0.2).
Cape Eagle-owl :
(Credits : Tomek)
The birds can have a shelter made with a small wooden house, otherwise they can hide in the arboreal vegetation of this exhibit.
Cape Eagle-owl aviary :
(Credits : Nix)
We approach now the core of the Equatorial subzone with brand new exhibits, that I'll describe later, along with the last aviary of the row (not dedicated to raptors or other large birds, but to much smaller species).
You can post now your comments about the description of these aviaries and the species displayed, and give me some suggestions for the next editions of my Absolute Zoo.
Stay in touch !
today I describe the row of aviaries for African large birds. These aviaries remain roughly unchanged since 2021 but the species collection has experienced some changes, as well as the conservation projects supported by the Zoo.
The aviaries are covered with mesh, and large poles support the structures. They can either be vegetalized or barren, desert-like.
The first aviary (15) is 320 m² large and mainly rocky with a few perches and nest platforms. It doesn't host a large bird of prey but a species that was once among the most threatened in the planet : the Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus (2.2). This species is currently unique in Europe.
We hope that one of the two pairs would breed in the following years, the offspring being reintroduced to reinforce a fragile population in the wild.
Additionnally the Zoo supports a conservation project of the birds of Mauritius, an island that count many conservation successes ; several birds have been rescued from the very brink of extinction, escaping the fate of the Dodo (that remains paradoxically the national bird of the country).
Mauritius Kestrel :
(Credits : gentle lemur)
The second exhibit (16) has a surface of 320 m² and was formerly the home of Eastern Imperial Eagles. Now the species has left the Zoo, and the aviary is occupied by the Crowned Hawk-Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus (2.0).
These brothers live in a quite vegetalized aviary, with medium-sized trees.
Crowned Hawk-Eagle :
(Credits : litteraturezoologique)
Crowned Hawk-Eagle aviary :
(Credits : HOMIN96)
In the following aviary (17), that's 225 m² large, there are a rocky cliff and some shrubs, to host a typical Sahelian species : the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus (1.1).
The Zoo continues to support a festival led in Senegal to raise the interest of the public for this declining bird.
The pair displayed in the Zoo is quite confident, that isn't the case everywhere they are displayed.
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill :
(Credits : Mr Gharial)
Abyssinian Ground Hornbills' aviary :
(Credits : KevinB)
The following aviary (18) has a 235 m² surface and is mainly planted with grasses.
There are a few perches on the upper part of the aviary.
It's the home of a critically endangered species, the White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (1.2).
One male has been changed for a female, arrived in late 2021.
The Pied Crows, that shared their exhibit in the past, have now left the Zoo.
The Zoo supports now a conservation program dedicated to combat the poisoning of carcasses in Zambia, one of the main drivers of vulture decline in Subsaharan Africa in the last years.
White-headed Vulture :
(Credits : MagpieGoose)
White-headed Vultures' aviary :
(Credits : gulogulogulo)
The next aviary (19) has a surface of 210 m² and is mainly desertical ; it's obviously dedicated to a desert species : the Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami (3.1).
Denham's Bustard :
(Credits : Jogy)
Denham's Bustards' aviary :
(Credits : Hix)
We are now in the second part of the row of aviaries, the first of the exhibits (20) is dedicated to another Bustard species, the White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis (4.2).
The Black-headed Herons that shared their exhibit have left the park in early 2021, that has allowed the Bustards (group of 3.1 adults, a female being introduced in the aviary in the same time) to have a breeding behaviour, producing 1.1 offspring in 2021.
The aviary is planted with shrub vegetation, the former heron pond has been dried up and filled with sand.
White-bellied Bustard :
(Credits : Ituri)
White-bellied Bustard aviary (look of a small part of the exhibit) :
(Credits : fkalltheway)
The next aviary (21) has a 230 m² surface and offers a barren landscape ; it was the former Bateleur exhibit but we can see now a species that was historically displayed in the Saharan sector : the Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis (5.2).
Additionnally 2.1 birds have reached this small flock in 2021.
Brown-necked Raven :
(Credits : alexkant)
Raven aviary :
(Credits : Mr.Weasel)
We approach now the end of the row and can see a new species in a 165 m² aviary (22), historically the home of a Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk (that has been transferred in a falconry), now replaced by Cape Eagle-owl Bubo capensis (0.2).
Cape Eagle-owl :
(Credits : Tomek)
The birds can have a shelter made with a small wooden house, otherwise they can hide in the arboreal vegetation of this exhibit.
Cape Eagle-owl aviary :
(Credits : Nix)
We approach now the core of the Equatorial subzone with brand new exhibits, that I'll describe later, along with the last aviary of the row (not dedicated to raptors or other large birds, but to much smaller species).
You can post now your comments about the description of these aviaries and the species displayed, and give me some suggestions for the next editions of my Absolute Zoo.
Stay in touch !
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Ca. 50 ha