Masterplan of my "absolute" zoo

[Haliaeetus]

Hello, everybody,

it's time to continue the visit of my Oceanian Zone.

Few days ago I've finished the description of the Australasian House, now there will be several outdoor enclosures designed for native mammals of Australia (and neighbouring islands).

After the last indoor enclosure of the Australasian House, home of 2 pairs of Grizzled Tree Kangaroos, we can see a larger, jungle-like outdoor enclosure for them (19).
With a 540 m² surface and a lot of trees to climb, the Kangaroos can be difficult to see, especially as they can go outdoors when the temperature is above 10°C.

The Tree Kangaroo's enclosure :

(Credits : WhistlingKite24)

Grizzled Tree-kangaroo :

(Credits : Giant Eland)

Behind this enclosure, the next one (20) is more rocky and sandy, more looking to a small piece of desert.
It's just a bit larger (730 m²) and it hosts Red-bellied Pademelons Thylogale billardierii (5.1).
This species is also rare in zoos outside of Australia. They were formerly kept in the Tree-kangaroos' enclosure where they occupied the ground level, but now they have an enclosure only for them.

The Pademelon enclosure :

(Credits : gulogulogulo)

Red-bellied Pademelon :

(Credits : Najade)

The next enclosure (21) is the biggest of the zone, with a 5.000 m² surface.
The hosted species is very common and not-threatened but among the most emblematic species of wildlife of Australia, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus (0.5).
This group is only composed of females, the arrival of males isn't planned for now. But these animals are easy to see and so enjoyed by the visitors that don't know well the rarer species of marsupials that live in the Zoo...

Grey Kangaroo enclosure :

(Credits : lintworm)

Eastern Grey Kangaroo :

(Credits : KevinB)

Now we discover two twin enclosures (22-23) with respectively 750 and 625 m² surfaces.
They are quite large and sandy, there are also stumps and burrows where the animals can hide themselves.
It's possible to see (quite hardly !) Naked-nosed Wombats Vombatus ursinus (2.2).
A pair lives in each enclosure ; both are young and it's hoped that they will breed soon.
It's interesting to note that they can be seen outdoors even in freezing winter days, when nearly all the other Australian mammals (with the exception of Tasmanian Devils) stay in their shelters.

Wombat enclosure (one of them) :

(Credits : Daniel Sörensen)

Naked-nosed Wombat :

(Credits : WhistlingKite24)

Here some information explains the various physiological adaptations of the marsupial across Australasia (and even the Americas) and a lot of climates and environments.
For example the adaptation of Wombats to make cubic poops (in order to lay them more easily on steep grounds, in the purpose of marking their territories) is explained here !
We can also learn that the various shapes and adaptations of the Marsupials (and Monotremes) look often like these of placental mammals that are more diverse in the other continents (there are marsupial moles, squirrels, anteaters...).

While we'll finish soon this fantastic Oceanian section, I'll show you the two last bird exhibits.

The first is a large swampy zone called The Billabong (24).
As most people represent Australia as a large dry, sun-burnt continent, this exhibit presents the richness of the wetlands of this country.
This exhibit has a 2.260 m² surface, with a shallow lake, reedbeds, wet meadows and islands, where several waterbird species live.

For now, the displayed species are :
- Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos (10.6)
- Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus (1.4)
- Black Swan Cygnus atratus (2.0)
- Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata (3.4) - it's the only non-Australian species of this exhibit because it lives in New Zealand

Little Pied Cormorant :

(Credits : TheoV)

Australian Pelican :

(Credits : HOMIN96)

Black Swan :

(Credits : mrcriss)

Paradise Shelduck :

(Credits : gulogulogulo)

The last exhibit (25) is a huge aviary of 1.235 m², on the model of Pallas' Sea Eagles aviary (see North Asian section).
This aviary is dedicated to the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax (1.1).
The Zoo has acquired a breeding pair of this emblematic bird of prey (that's also very rare in European zoos), it hopes breeding in the following years.

Look of the Wedge-tailed Eagles' aviary :

(Credits : TheoV)

Wedge-tailed Eagle :

(Credits : WhistlingKite24)

Now the Oceanian Zone is finished.

You can comment this post, and the earlier too, to tell me your impressions about this zone, the species displayed and bred, and even your wishes...

In the next days I'll start a very huge and complex zone : the African Zone.
And I'm sure that you wouldn't be disappointed at all !!!

See you later !

 

[CrashMegaraptor]

A great little Aussie section...and yay for wombats. I suspected the biggest enclosure was a kangaroo enclosure.

Lets see...for the African section, I'm fully expecting a mixed savannah exhibit because of course there'd be one of those. Also, I'm hoping personally for hyenas.

 

[HungarianBison]

@Haliaeetus eetus I hope you'll continue this thread soon It would be a pity to let it go!

 

[Haliaeetus]

@Haliaeetus eetus I hope you'll continue this thread soon It would be a pity to let it go!

Of course no.
But this section (the African one) is really large, and long to conceive.
I hope I will present it tonight.

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

it's now the time to show you the next part of my virtual Zoo, the African Zone.

Here's its map :

As I said, it's a really HUGE zone, with plenty of enclosures, aviaries, islands and galleries.

It could basically be divided in several sub-zones :
- numbers 1 to 7 : the Saharan section, that includes itself the Maghreb, the "true" Sahara desert, the Arabian peninsula (that shares a lot of common features with the Sahara) and the Horn of Africa ;
- numbers 8 to 25 : the Equatorial Valley, mainly dedicated to primates and birds in islands and aviaries ;
- numbers 26 to 39 : the Eastern Savannahs, with a plain for herbivores and a lot of enclosures for small mammals and carnivores ;
- number 40 : the (smaller) South African plain, dedicated to the very special wildlife of the Cape Province ;
- numbers 41 to 46 : a zone dedicated to Madagascar and (more recently) the other islands of the Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Réunion...).

Clue : there aren't any Lions nor Elephants in this zone for now.

We start with the Saharan section (to call it briefly), built around rocks that look like the Himalayan Rocks of the North Asian Zone.
There are small enclosures/aviaries carved in the rock, with nets or windows, and larger plains for hoofstock, and a large degree enclosure with grottoes for monkeys.

In this section there's a lot of information about the North African wildlife, poorly known even if these countries are truly Europe's neighbours, with a long common history (from the Roman Empire to the colonization and the modern human migrations, with important implications in the cultures of both continents). The partnership between the Zoo and the Moroccan authorities is largely highlighted here.

The first enclosure (1) has a surface of 510 m² and is designed for Sand Cats Felis margarita (1.0), who needs ?
It's a sandy exhibit carved in the rock, with some grasses, stumps, hides and rocks.
Now there's only a male cat, but a mate is actively searched now.

The Zoo supports a program of Sand Cat monitoring in Southern Morocco, and it's even possible to "adopt" a wild Moroccan Sand Cat studied by the zoologists in the deserts.

View of Sand Cat enclosure :

(Credits : Paul Kalisch)

Sand Cat :

(Credits : robreintjes)

The second enclosure (2) has nearly the same size (490 m²) and is a sandy den with grassy vegetation and burrows.
It houses another small carnivore, well-known by the general public (at least in France), the Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda (1.1).

Fennec Fox enclosure :

(Credits : MagpieGoose)

Fennec Fox :

(Credits: carlos55)

There's finally an aviary carved in the rock (3) with 190 m² surface, that houses Brown-necked Ravens Corvus ruficollis (3.1).
Such birds are unique in the European continent, and rare even in the zoos of the Middle East where it lives in the wild.

Possible look of the Raven aviary :

(Credits : MagpieGoose)

Behind the rock, there are 2 plains for hoofed animals, that house now 2 species of Gazelles.
The soil is made of sand and gravel, with small grassy areas, and the night shelters are caves dug in the rock.

The first (4) is the largest, with a 2.325 m² surface and houses one of the most critically endangered antelope species in the world, the Dama Gazelle Nanger dama (4.0).
For now the group contains only 4 young males (bachelor group) but it's now tried to change some males for a harem of females to start breeding.
The Zoo supports a program of reintroduction of the Dama Gazelle in Moroccan reserves and national parks.

Look of the Dama Gazelle enclosure :

(Credits : Maguari)

Dama (Mhorr) Gazelle :

(Credits : KevinB)

The next plain (5) is slightly smaller (1.720 m²) and hosts another species, the Mountain Gazelle Gazella gazella (3.4).
Less threatened than the Dama, its situation can be precarious in some countries, and the Zoo supports surveys and educational campaigns in Jordan and Oman.

Mountain Gazelle :

(Credits : alexkant)

In the next days I'll show you the last enclosures of the Saharan / North African zone, before starting the tropical exhibits.

Now you can give me your first impressions of this (beginning of the) African Zone.

 

[CrashMegaraptor]

To be fair, I kinda suspected there wouldn't be any lions or elephants, considering you already had the Asiatic variety.

I will say I do expect number 27 to have a fair few species in it. It looks like the quintessential mixed savannah exhibit.

 

[Haliaeetus]

To be fair, I kinda suspected there wouldn't be any lions or elephants, considering you already had the Asiatic variety.

I will say I do expect number 27 to have a fair few species in it. It looks like the quintessential mixed savannah exhibit.

@CrashMegaraptor I think you're right about the exhibit 27.

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello everybody,

I describe now the next steps of the African Zone, beginning with the last enclosures of the Saharan subzone.

After the Gazelles' plains, you can see a large, rocky enclosure with degrees, grottoes and a few stumps/trunks.
This 3.065 m² enclosure (6) is the realm of a small troop of Hamadryas Baboons Papio hamadryas (3.6).
It represents the Horn of Africa, and also Egypt where these monkeys were revered in the Pharaohs' era.

Near this enclosure, there's a presentation about Ancient Egyptians' pantheon, that included many zoomorphic gods and goddesses, as Thot, represented in the shape of a baboon (or an ibis) and credited as the inventor of writing.

The Hamadryas Rock :

(Credits : Moebelle)

Hamadryas Baboon (male) :

(Credits : Semioptera)

Near the Hamadryas Rock there's a small, rocky den of 290 m² (7) where live a troop of Banded Mongooses Mungos mungo (3.5).
They aren't really North African animals but they can be met in the arid margins of Sahel and Horn of Africa. It's possible that they will be replaced by other animals, more typical of the desert habitats, in the future.

Banded Mongoose enclosure :

(Credits : Maguari)

Banded Mongoose :

(Credits : KevinB)

We come now in the second subzone of the African part of the Zoo : the Equatorial valley.

Here there are islands and aviaries in a greener landscape, contrasting with the sand and the rocks of the previous part of the zone.

First there are 3 large primate islands.

The first (8) has a 3.000 m² surface and hosts a group of Common Chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (1.5).

The names of these primates are :
- Okambo (1.0)
- Julia (0.1)
- Patricia (0.1)
- Kabinda (0.1)
- Janari (0.1)
- Kikwit (0.1)

The chimps have already bred in the zoo, but they haven't recorded any births since the birth of the youngest female, Kikwit (adughter of Julia and Okambo), in 2016.

Chimpanzee island :

(Credits : Lintworm)

Chimpanzee :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

A 385 m² building (9) contains the night enclosures of the Chimpanzees.
They are also housed in these enclosures when the weather is below 5°C.
This building can be visited, it contains 2 inner enclosures of 150 m² each.

Along the side of the building there is information about the behaviours of Chimpanzees (that are among our closest relatives alive) but also the threats they face, and the 2 projects supported by the Zoo, that give money to a sanctuary in Upper Guinea, and to rangers in the Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo).
A twinning between the Zoo and the Salonga National Park is also planned, it could come into force in 2022...

The next islands are part of a complex (10-11-12) designed for other primates that cohabit :
- the Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla (2.0)
- the Bioko Crowned Monkey Cercopithecus pogonias (5.5).

The Gorillas (Baga and Dogo) are surplus males given by other zoos to make a small bachelor group.
The colony of Crowned Monkeys is unique in Europe.

As the Chimpanzee island, the Gorillas/Crowned Monkeys island are densely forested, with ropes and other structures.

Their surface is 1.810 + 2.210 m², so a total of 4.020 m².

There's also a 600 m² building, on the same model as the Chimpanzees' one, with three 150 m² inner enclosures and a path for the visitors.

The Zoo supports a monitoring and conservation project of a close relative of the Lowland Gorilla, the charismatic Mountain Gorilla, in the Rwandan Parc National des Volcans.

Gorillas' island :

(Credits : lintworm)

Western Lowland Gorilla (male) :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Behind the Apes' islands, there's a high, netted, aviary (13). It has got a 370 m² surface and hosts a small group of Diana Monkeys Cercopithecus diana (2.0).
The height of the aviary and the abundance of structures allow the primates to perch and to hide from the visitors' sight. The monkeys have also a night enclosure of 50 m² in a heated building.

Diana Monkeys' enclosure :

(Credits : Maguari)

Diana Monkey :

(Credits : gigit)

Near this enclosure there's a quite large empty space (ca. 3000 m²) not used for yet.
It's planned to build the Salonga Educational Centre in this place, where there will be a library, an exposition room (the expositions will be focused on animal art, biology and/or conservation projects), a cinema, a restaurant (where it will be possible to eat dishes made with organic and local food) and, of course, some animal exhibits (birds, small mammals and maybe reptiles).

Between the Diana Monkey aviary and the Apes' islands, there's finally a plain of 2.120 m² (14) where it's possible to see a group of an antelope rarely seen in zoos, the West African Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus scriptus (4.3).
The Zoo has the chance to have seen the birth of a male Bushbuck in 2020.

Bushbuck enclosure :

(Credits : gulogulogulo)

Now I let you comment this section of the African zone, mainly dedicated to primates, before the next enclosures (where I'll show you numerous bird species).

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

we continue the African Zone, ans especially its "Equatorial" part, with a long row of aviaries, mainly for large and medium-sized birds, some of them very rare in European zoos, or in captivity at all.
Most species breed in Tropical Africa, except two (I'll describe the reasons next), that nevertheless winter (or used to winter) under these latitudes.

It's possible to see feeding sessions for all these birds. The conservation issues about these species are explained, as the solutions to protect them and the projects supported by the Zoo.

The first of them (15) has a 220 m² surface and is densely planted with bushes and trees.
This aviary houses a mixed presentation of birds, with the following species :
- Congo Peafowl Afropavo congensis (0.2), a bird that was once fairly common in European zoos, but rare now ; the 2 females come from the Antwerpen Zoo, formerly the main breeding centre for this species
- Knysna Touraco Tauraco corythaix (1.3)
- Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis (7.7)
When the weather is below 5°C, the Peafowl are housed in their night shelters, the other birds could be seen.

Congo Peafowl aviary :

(Credits : snowleopard)

Congo Peafowl, female :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Black-cheeked Lovebirds :

(Credits : KevinB)

The next aviary (16) is also dedicated to forest species, but this 165 m² aviary houses a much more discreet species, the Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk Accipiter castanilius (1.0).
Rare in European zoos, this bird is really hard to see in the dense vegetation of the aviary.

Then there are 2 twin aviaries.
The first (17) has a 230 m² surface, and houses a fairly common species in Zoos (but unfortunately endangered in the wild), the Bateleur Eagle Terathopius ecaudatus (1.1).
This aviary looks more "desert-like", with perches and platforms for the eagles.

Bateleur aviary :

(Credits : Coelacanth18)

Bateleur Eagle :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

The second (18) is slightly larger (270 m²) and present a small mix of species :
- Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala (1.3)
- White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis (3.0)

It looks like the aviary n°17 with a "desert-like" landscape, but with a small pond in the middle.

Black-headed Herons :

(Credits : Giant Eland)

White-bellied Bustard :

(Credits : FunkyGibbon)

It follows a long row of aviaries for savannah, desert or rock birds.

In the first (19), the 210 m² space is the home of the Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami (3.1), a rare species in the zoos.

Possible look of the Denham's Bustard aviary :

(Credits : kiang)

In the next exhibit (20), there's a 235 m² surface, and it's possible to see 2 species :
- White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (2.1)
- Pied Crow Corvus albus (2.2)

Vulture and Crow aviary :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

White-headed Vulture :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Pied Crow :

(Credits : TheoV)

The next aviary (21) has a 225 m² surface and is the home of the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus (1.1).
The range of this bird is declining, and the Zoo is proud to support a Hornbill festival in Senegal to raise awareness among the public, especially the scholars.

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill aviary :

(Credits : KevinB)

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

The next aviary (22) has a 320 m² surface and houses temporarily some birds of prey that don't breed in Africa, but spend their winters on this continent, the Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (1.1).
As they arent "true" African natives, they will join the European Zone during the year 2021.

Eastern Imperial Eagle :

(Credits : Therabu)

The Zoo works also to combat the threats that these eagles face in their migrations, and especially in Africa, in projects of burying the power lines of Egypt and Sudan, deadly for many birds in the East African-Eurasian Flyway.

The following aviary (23) has also a 320 m² surface ; it houses one of the top-predator African birds, the Crowned Hawk-eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus (2.0).
In this aviary there's a rocky landscape with few bushes and thorny trees.
As for the Bateleurs cited previously, these birds are brothers from 2 different clutches, and one of them will be replaced in another zoo during the year.

Crowned Hawk-eagle aviary :

(Credits : HOMIN96)

Crowned Hawk-eagle :

(Credits : HOMIN96)

We come to the last aviary of the row (24), the largest of them (540 m²), that's the home of different species :
- Secretary Bird Sagittarius serpentarius (1.2)
- Cape Griffon Vulture Gyps coprotheres (2.3)
- Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita (2.3)

The Secretary Birds and Cape Griffon Vultures are yound, their breeding is poised to start in the next years.
The case of the Bald Ibises remain : they don't breed in tropical Africa but the Eastern population (probably now extinct in the wild) used to winter in Ethiopia and maybe neigbouring countries.
This species will probably be transfered in the large Vultures' aviary of the European section (exhibit n° 24 of this section) to start breeding.

Near this aviary the risks that the Vultures and other large birds of prey face in Africa nowadays (with a mix of old and new threats, for example traditional medicines, poaching, poisoning, power lines, windfarms...) are explained on panels.
The solutions implemented are also presented, as the monitoring of a Cape Vulture colony in South Africa, that have managed to save it for the 30 last years.

Mixed-raptor aviary :

(Credits : KevinB)

Secretary Bird :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Cape Vultures :

(Credits : geomorph)

Northern Bald Ibis :

(Credits : Gil)

Now I let you comment this part of the African section ; in the next days I'll carry on this description, with the end of the Bird Valley.

See you later !

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

to continue the African section, I would quickly talk about the water moats along the primate islands (8/10/12), on the other side of the Equatorial valley.
They aren't empty, because there are different species of waterfowl, as :
- Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis (4.0)
- Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca (2.0)
- Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (3.4).
These birds can also go on a small island (70 m²) out of the reach of the primates, and where the Pelicans may breed.
Until recently there were also Marabou Storks but this place isn't truly suitable for these birds, so they were removed to go in the next exhibit, before the building of a true breeding aviary for them.

Spur-winged Goose :

(Credits : Elephantelephant)

Egyptian Geese :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Great White Pelican on the island :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

 

[CrashMegaraptor]

I can tell there's gonna be a lot of animals in the Africa section.

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

tonight we continue the visit of my large African Zone with the last exhibit of the Equatorial Valley : a large, 1.815 m² netted aviary (25) for an array of African waterbirds. There are a pond, reedbeds, a mudflat, some trees and perches to allow the husbandry of many large species.
Now it's possible to see the following species in this exhibit :
- Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor (5.7)
- Grey-crowned Crane Balearica regulorum (0.1)
- Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis (4.5)
- Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer (2.2)
- White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata (4.5)

It's planned to move the 2 pairs of Marabou Storks in a new aviary, more fitted to their needs, during this year (formerly they lived in the primate islands, where they were quite stressed even if fences allowed the birds to be out of reach of the apes).

Possible look of the African birds' aviary :

(Credits : snowleopard)

Lesser Flamingos :

(Credits : elephantlover)

Grey-crowned Crane :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Saddle-billed Stork :

(Credits : Jogy)

Marabou Stork :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

White-faced Whistling Ducks :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

We come now in the next subzone of the African part of the zoo.

It's dedicated to the fauna of the savannahs of the Eastern part of the continent, with obviously the largest species of the zone.

We start with a building (26) that mimic a rocky kopje, the Main African Pavilion (26).

Main African Pavilion :

In this building it's possible to see indoor and outdoor aviaries for birds and small mammals, and the night paddocks of large herbivores. It's also possible to maintain some animals when the weather is inclement (in the coldest days of winter, in the case of storms or when the soil to too muddy), and for health or behavior necessities.

I will begin with the aviaries.
The first one (A) can be seen along the path. It's the largest with a surface of 120 m² ; this aviary is long with a desert-like landscape (with rocks and sand), a few thorny trees and even a small sand cliff.

It houses a lot of birds :
- Masked Lovebird Agapornis personatus (10.8)
- African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta (2.0)
- Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus (3.8)
- African Grey Hornbill Lophoceros nasutus (2.1)
- Green Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus (2.0)
- Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata (10.5)
- Southern Masked-weaver Ploceus velatus (9.10)

Last year 2 Little Bee-eaters (females) were born in this exhibit.

Look of the African outdoor aviary :

(Credits : KevinB)

Masked Lovebird :

(Credits : KevinB)

African Grey Hornbill :

(Credits : Kakapo)

Green Woodhoopoe :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Cut-throat Finch :

(Credits : KevinB)

Southern Masked-weaver :

(Credits : ro6ca66)

In the next days we'll see the other aviaries of this pavilion, then the herbivore paddocks.

Now you can comment this part of the Zoo. I wait your reactions !

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

I carry on the description of the African Zone of my virtual zoo, and especially its Main Pavilion.

The second aviary (B) looks like the first but it's a bit smaller (80 m²) and it hosts the following species :
- Peach-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis (6.7)
- Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea (9.8)
- Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix (7.5)

Peach-faced Lovebird :

(Credits : Parrotsandrew)

Red-billed Quelea :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

Southern Red Bishop :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

Then you come into the pavilion, at your right there are 2 inner aviaries.

The first one (C) has a 75 m² surface, and it's the only aviary to host a mammalian species.
It presents a rocky landscape, with yucca, eucalyptus and perches.

The species displayed here are :
- Livingston's Turaco Tauraco livingstonii (2.2)
- Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis (1.0), a very rare species in zoos
- Common Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis (1.1)

Possible look of the African inner aviaries :

(Credits : ZooNerd1234)

Livingston's Turaco :

(Credits : Zooish)

Common Rock Hyrax :

(Credits : Arek)

The last aviary (D) is the smallest, with only a surface of 30 m². It's also the only aviary of the building to host a non-African bird species (albeit temporarily).

It displays the following species :
- Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus (5.3)
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis (5.4)
- Purple-throated Sunbird Leptocoma sperata (3.2) ; this bird is Asian, the small Sunbird group lives here for few months before an eventual transfer to the Bird House of the South Asian Zone

The two Sunbird species are very rare in zoos nowadays.
In this aviary there are nectar and honey distributors to feed the 2 Sunbird species, and it's hoped to breed them even this year.

Superb Starling :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Scarlet-chested Sunbird :

(Credits : AdrianW1963)

In the other side of the walkway, there are several inner paddocks for the herbivores that are housed during the night or in the inclement days (severe cold, storms...).
I don't describe now the animals that are housed in this place, but you can note that the paddocks haven't the same size (from 25 to 225 m² each) to fit to the different animal species housed here.

It's more interesting to see this large wildlife in the African Plain, that encompasses nearly 1,14 ha of grassy land with gentle slopes and a natural pond.

In this large enclosure (27) you can see the following species :
- Masai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi (1.2)
- Grevy's Zebra Equus grevyi (2.5)
- Common Ostrich Struthio camelus (3.0)

There aren't a lot of species but some of them have a high interest for conservation.

The Giraffe group is composed of the male NAKURU, and the females NAIROBI and NAIVASHA. This Giraffe subspecies is now unique in Europe, and we hope future births in this new installation.

The Grevy's Zebras are quite common in European zoos but their status in nature is precarious.
Our group is composed of the males MENELIK and AMHARA, and the females MALAIKA, LALIBELA, LAIKIPIA, ABEBA and WAALIA.
They have already bred here, AMHARA and WAALIA are both adolescents born in 2019 in the Zoo.

The African Plain :

(Credits : Grizzly Hound)

Masai Giraffe :

(Credits : Julio C Castro)

Grévy's Zebra :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Common Ostrich :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Additionnally, there's here information of a conservation program led in Kenya and supported by the Zoo, in order to improve the cohabitation between rural comunities and wildlife, and to reduce poaching and retaliation attacks over wild animals.
Now the villagers are wildlife protectors, and work with the rangers and the police authorities.

The East African animals displayed there (even a common species like the Ostrich, without direct conservation interest) are perfect ambassadors of wildlife conservation in this part of Africa.

In the next days I'll present the other parts of the African Zone.

Now I let you comment your impressions about the African Pavilion and the Giraffe and Zebra plain.

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello everybody,

after the Giraffes and other large animals, it's time to describe the next part of the African Zone, that houses small and medium-sized mammals, in a complex of sandy enclosures with stumps and burrows around a building that contains their night / winter shelters, and other species that are permanently kept indoors.

The first enclosure (28) has a 440 m² surface. It's the home of a bachelor group of Meerkats Suricata suricatta (10.0). This species is common and not-threatened but it's also one of the most popular critters of the Zoo. In the near future, it's planned to build a larger enclosure for them with a hill, and to get a breeding group.

The Meerkat enclosure :

(Credits : Gil)

Meerkats :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

The next one (29) is very similar ; it has an equal surface and hosts Bat-eared Foxes Otocyon megalotis (1.2) that belong to the South African subspecies, more common in the zoos.

Bat-eared Foxes' enclosure :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

Bat-eared Fox :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

In the last enclosure (30), that is slightly smaller (400 m²) there's a much rarer species in zoos, although it's a really unique animal, the Aardvark Orycteropus afer (2.2).

But even if each pair can theoretically go outside, it's practically impossible to see them in this enclosure, as they prefer staying in their inside enclosures in the building that I'll describe soon.

The outdoor Aardvark enclosure :

(Credits : gulogulogulo)

A rare sighting of an Aardvark in its sandy area :

(Credits : dianamonkey)

It's planned to present at least one Aardvark pair together with the Meerkats in their future exhibit.

The next step of our visit will be the inner exhibits of the Small African Mammal House.
I'll publish its description in the end of the week.

See you later !

 

[Bengal Tiger]

Just discovered this thread, and WOW!!! Absolutely fabulous work @Haliaeetus!

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

we continue to discover the African Zone, with a house dedicated to nocturnal mammals :

Its design looks like the Djenné mosque, surrounded by sand and clay.

In this building there are several dark exhibits with a few infra-red lamps, that can be discovered along a path. Some species are elusive and it's only possible to catch glimpses of them if we are lucky.
The first one (A) is a cave-like 100 m² enclosure for a small colony of Egyptian Fruit Bats Rousettus aegyptiacus (4.3).

The two following enclosures (B-C) are much smaller (10 m² each) but it's a correct size for the species housed there, that have the size of a mouse, that are :

• in the B enclosure : Short-snouted Sengi Elephantulus brachyrhynchus (1.4)
• in the C enclosure : Barbary Striped Grass-Mouse Lemniscomys striatus (5.5)

In these enclosures there are rocks and burrows on a prevalently sandy soil.

Then there are the burrows of the Aardvarks previously described (D-E), that stay mainly indoors.
A pair lives in each burrow that have a surface of 75 m².

The last exhibit of the house is a long tunnel (F) for a colony of Naked Mole-Rats Heterocephalus glaber (4.6). The exhibit is quite large, it includes 20 small rooms linked with pipes.
The colony is very small for now, because it's composed only of young animals ; the breeding is waited in next years.

In this place there's information about the "superpowers" of these bizarre mammals : their resistence to pain, hypoxy, tumours or even aging of the cells, their very long lifespan (more than 30 years for mouse-sized animals) plus their eusocial behaviour (like ants or termites).
An of course their beauty ! (in French their are called "les rats-beauté" !!!)

There are also inside enclosures for the Bat-eared Foxes (G-H) and Meerkats (I-J).
These enclosures are quite small (15 m² each) and only covered with sawdust, with wooden boxes as hides for the animals. Only the last Meerkat enclosure (J) can be seen by the visitors, it's possible to see these small carnivores behind a glassy window in the coldest winter days, when they don't want to go out.

The Bat Cave :

(Credits : KevinB)

Egyptian Fruit Bat :

(Credits : NigeW)

Barbary Striped Mouse :

(Credits : jayjds2)

The Aardvark enclosure :

(Credits : MagpieGoose)

Aardvark :

(Credits : Milwaukee Man)

Naked Mole-Rats' Tunnels :

(Credits : Milwaukee Man)

Naked Mole-Rats aka "Les Rats-beauté"

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Now we start the presentation of the Savannah Carnivores' Section.

As I said there aren't Lions now, but several interesting species.
All these enclosures are grassy plains with few trees and stumps that provide shade and hides for the animals that can be quite difficult to see, especially in the hottest days. There also burrows where these animals spend the night.

The first enclosure (32) has a surface of 1.585 m².
It's the home of a small pack of African Wild Dogs Lycaon pictus bitches (0.3).

The next one (33) is a bit larger with a 2.110 m² surface.
We can see here some Spotted Hyaenas Crocuta crocuta (5.1).

Both species aren't popular, and they suffer a bad reputation and a lack of protection, especially for the first species that has high ecological exigences.

We can hear talks about the biology and conservation issues for these 2 species, and information about their place in the folklore (in the Ethiopian city of Harar the guardians feed the Hyaenas, while the scholars of European Middle Ages believed that the Hyaenas were hermaphrodites... that can seem fantasy but that has a true basis given the physiological aspect of females Hyaenas, that deceived more than a zookeeper !).
There's also information about 2 projects supported by the Zoo : a monitoring project of large carnivores (including these 2 species) in Niger and Burkina Faso (in a very rich zone for the biodiversity but unfortunately plagued by political unrest for a decade), and an anti-poaching project that's led in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

African Wild Dogs' enclosure :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

African Wild Dog :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Spotted Hyaena enclosure :

(Credits : Maguari)

Spotted Hyaena :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

The last exhibits (34-35-36) are the largest (respectively 3.050, 4.520 and 4.625 m²).
It's a complex dedicated to the breeding of the Cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus (6.9).

The breeding of these cats is successful here : 8 cubs (2.6) are born in 2020, from 2 different litters.
The remainder of the group includes 4 males and 3 females (adults).
For the needs of breeding the groups are frequently moved from an enclosure to another.

One of the Cheetah enclosures :

(Credits : lintworm)

Cheetah :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

The complex relationship between Cheetahs and humans is explained in this area, especially with the hunting tradition that has been detrimental to the species (it fuelled captures of young Cheetahs in Middle East and India, then in Africa), and the difficulty of captive breeding (thought to be impossible for a long time). So the success encountered here is a real source of pride for the Zoo.
The Zoo supports a reintroduction program of Cheetahs in South Africa, along with the monitoring program led in Niger and Burkina Faso, that has been described earlier.

I'll present the next parts of the African zone in the following days ; I let you comment your impressions about the nocturnal mammals and carnivores subzones.

 

[CrashMegaraptor]

I was hoping for hyenas and was not disappointed. ^^

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

here's the following part of our African trip, that will end in the next days...

After the carnivore section there's a former complex of small enclosures for primates, mongooses and small cats (37-38-39) that's being destroyed now.
In 2022 a new sector will open and merged with the enclosures for Meerkats, Bat-eared Foxes and Aardvarks (28-29-30) to create the Kopje sector, a rocky zone with flat and sandy areas around. Additionnally to the previously listed species, the Hyraxes will join this zone, and one or two pairs of Klipspringers could also come in. It will be possible to walk through this rock, there will be a terrace and a café on the top of it.

So let's go to the "small" South African sector, that's composed of a single enclosure of 3.770 m² (40) with a soil of sand and clay and (mainly in Autumn and Winter) grassy zones.
This plain hosts a mixed exhibit of Mountain Zebras Equus zebra (4.1) and Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradisea (2.3).
In this year the departure of 1 or 2 Zebra males (all born in the Zoo in the former years) is planned.

In this area there's information about the history (localization between 2 oceans at the junction of Tropical and Polar influences, presence of the native Khoisan peoples, the early settlement of Europeans, an unique fact in Africa, and even memory places like the Robben Island, former jail where Nelson Mandela was kept [remember Asimbonanga song of Johnny Clegg !!!] and now a bird reserve!) and the conservation of the Cape Region in South Africa, a project supported by the Zoo works for the restoration of the Fynbos ecosystems, one of the most threatened biomes of the African Continent.
Additionnally it supports a monitoring project for Blue Cranes, that are the national bird of South Africa.

South African Plain :

(Credits : German Zoo World)

Mountain Zebra :

(Credits : MagpieGoose)

Blue Cranes :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

We quit mainland Africa to enter in the Malagasy and Indian Ocean Subzone.

The first exhibit of it is a complex of 3 aviaries filled with lush vegetation (41), with a larger one of 200 m² and two smaller others (70 m² each) in the backstage. Only the first can be seen by the visitors, the latter are off-exhibit.

These aviaries display and try to breed species ot the Indian Ocean islands.

In the main aviary there are :

• Echo Parakeet Psittacula eques (1.0)
• Pink Pigeon Nesoenas mayeri (0.2)
• Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops chloronothos (3.0)
• Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis (0.10)

In the backstage aviaries there are :

• first aviary : Echo Parakeet Psittacula eques (3.0), Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops chloronothos (2.4)
• second aviary : Pink Pigeon Nesoenas mayeri (1.3), Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops chloronothos (0.4)

There are sometimes changes of birds between the different aviaries to enhance the gene pool, except for the Parakeets (the arrival of females is now waited with impatience !).

I add that the arrival of Mauritian Flying Foxes has been planned, but without concretization until now.

Obviously there's a presentation about the natural and human history of the Mascarene Islands, marked with disasters since the earliest steps of colonization (even before the settlement of humans themselves, because they were preceded by rats, pigs and other invasive species that pushed a lot of birds towards extinction, including the famous Dodo !), but also with remarkable conservation stories in the last decades with the saving of several birds and reptiles, that used to be at the wery brink of extinction for a time (like the Echo Parakeets and Pink Pigeons displayed here!).

Pink Pigeon :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

We discover now the last exhibits of the African zone, dedicated to Madagascar, that's a complex of large vegetalized aviaries for endemic primates, with a building to house them in bad weather days.

The first (42) have a 465 m² surface and hosts rare Woolly Lemurs Avahi laniger (5.3), these nocturnal animals are elusive and difficult to see in their habitat.
Nonetheless, a male Woolly Lemur is born in 2020, that's a success for the conservation of this rare species, now classified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN.

The second (43) has a 140 m² surface ; it hosts Grey Bamboo Lemurs Hapalemur griseus (3.5), quite hard to see due to their elusive behaviour.
They have already bred in the past.

I'll describe the 2 last exhibits in the coming days.

Now you can give your impressions about the South African, Mascarene and Malagasy sectors of this African Zone, your suggestions, etc...

Stay in touch !

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

here's the very last step of our African journey, with 2 exhibits of the Malagasy complex.

The first (44) is located immediately after the Bamboo Lemur aviary, it has a 105 m² surface and it's filled with a lot of branches and jungle-like vegetation.
You can see here Gray Mouse Lemurs Microcebus murinus (0.5). This all-female group is difficult to see, assuming also that they are nocturnal animals.

Behind there are the inner enclosures of the Lemurs (45), that can host them for the coldest days of winter, or to isolate mothers with infants. They can't be visited.

There's now the last (and largest) aviary of the Malagasy complex (46).
It's a nearly circular aviary, with climbing structures (partially made of dead trees and branches), rocks and clay, it has a 760 m² surface.
It's dedicated to diurnal Lemurs, that are the most popular and easiest to see Lemur species of the complex.

It hosts :

• Ring-tailed Lemurs Maki catta (5.4)
• Crowned Lemurs Eulemur coronatus (2.0)

Ring-tailed Lemur :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Near this aviary there's an exposition zone dedicated to the unique wildlife of Madagascar ant the threats that it faces. There's also information of a conservation program supported by the Zoo in favour of Lemur species (including Sifakas, Babakoto, Bamboo Lemurs...) in several places of the island. This conservation action benefits to the entire biodiversity (birds, reptiles, insects, fish, plants...) and to the human communities that live nearby too.

The African trek is now over.

Between the Mascarene aviaries and the Malagasy lemur complex, you should have seen a large building.
It is the Aquarium of the Zoo, and it will be described in the coming days.

You can now comment your impressions about African Zone, its sectors, species and projects, before the entrance in the submarine world.

See you later !

 

[Haliaeetus]

Hello,

welcome to the Aquarium of my zoo.

This building is located near the African, Asian and Oceanian sections, as a recall of the richness of these 3 regions for aquatic and marine life.
It includes 3 decks : the upper is dedicated to freshwater species of fish and invertebrates, the middle to the temperate seas and the lower to the tropical seas. All them can be visited successively along a labyrinth-like path.

In this place there are thousands of fish, but there isn't information about the sexes of nearly all the animals, given the difficulty to identify the sex for most species (not to mention the species that change their sex, like groupers or clownfish!).

Map of the 1st floor of the aquarium :

You can see that the tanks have different colours : for this floor the green aquaria are dedicated to Europe (light green) and North America (dark green), the brown/yellow are dedicated to the tropics (orange for Latin America, brown for Africa, yellow for Asia), finally there are a few dark brown exhibits for the "domestic breeds" of fish, with a special scenography about aquariophilia.

Let's begin with Europe !

Near the entrance of the building, the 2 first tanks are dedicated to very common species of our slow rivers and lakes :

• 1) Common Carp Cyprinus carpio (0.0.50)
• 2) Common Bream Abramis brama (0.0.93), Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha (0.0.69)

Common Carp :

(Credits : Haliaeetus)

Then, the more rapid streams are represented with smaller 3 tanks and 4 species :

• 3) Belica Leucaspius delineatus (0.0.97), Schneider Alburnoides bipunctatus (0.0.26)
• 4) Stone Loach Barbatula barbatula (0.0.17)
• 5) Burbot Lota lota (0.0.5)

The last 2 species bred in 2020, that led, by the end of 2020, to 76 juvenile Stone Loaches and 63 juvenile Burbots. Both could be seen in the Nursery quarter, in the North Asian Zone (see back, to this part of the zoo).

Burbot exhibit :

(Credits : geomorph)

Burbot :

(Credits : moebelle)

The next 2 aquariums are North American, we can see there :

• 6) Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush (0.0.6)
• 7) Black-banded Sunfish Enneacanthus chaetodon (0.0.80)

Possible look of the Lake Trout Aquarium :

(Credits : TinoPup)

We go back to Europe for the next 2 aquaria, especially dedicated to 2 species of migratory fish :

• 8) European Eel Anguilla anguilla (0.0.70)
• 9) European River Lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis (0.0.2)

Near these aquaria there are panels that explain the challenges encountered by migratory fish, that are negatively impacted by dams, pollution and alteration of the rivers (and the seas).
The Zoo supports a conservation project in France, designed to remove or adapt some dams that are detrimental for migratory fish like Eels, Salmons and Lampreys. It's the first properly "aquatic" conservation action I describe in my Zoo.

European Eel :

(Credits : Hanjo)

We enter now in 2 very large aquariums, crossed by tunnels that allow the visitors to walk in the middle of fish. They are the first tanks of this kind, several others will be crossed in the marine sections.

These ones are dedicated to some of the largest European and North American species of fish, more precisely :

• 10) Sterlet Acipenser ruthenus (0.0.16)
• 11) Mississippi Paddlefish Polyodon spathula (0.0.9), Spotted Gar Lepisosteus oculatus (0.0.10)

Sterlet :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

Mississippi Paddlefish :

(Credits : zoogiraffe)

Spotted Gar :

(Credits : DaLilFishie)

Along the Sterlet exhibit, there's information about the status and protection of Sturgeons in Eurasia. These ancestral fishes are threatened by the pollution and the excessive fishing (to collect the eggs, prized as a delicacy).
Nonetheless the Sterlet has a better conservation status than most Sturgeon species of the region. The Zoo participates to restock this species in the Danube basin, with a project in Rumania (see the European Zone of the Zoo for additional information about rewilding conservation projects supported by the Zoo).
Some Sturgeons displayed here are born in the Zoo in 2019 and before.

After the tanks for these river giants, we come now in the first part of the tropical freshwater section, here dedicated to Neotropical fishes. Some of them are popular as pets, other can seem bizarre or even frightening.
All the exhibits highlight the adaptations and the ecological interest of these species, that deserve protection.

We begin in a cave-like exhibit (12) for Blind Cave Tetras Astyanax jordani (0.0.39) that can be seen in the twilight. These conditions are close to their natural habitat in Mexico where they are endemics.

The next tank is a large (13) comunity aquarium with many species, some of them commonly raised by the fancy aquariophilists around the world :

• Duckbill Catfish Sorubim lima (0.0.5)
• Flag Cichlid Mesonauta festivus (0.0.8)
• Amazon Leaffish Monocirrhus polyacanthus (0.0.14)
• Three-lined Pencilfish Nannostomus trifasciatus (0.0.88)
• Red Discus Symphysodon discus (0.0.13)
• Bucktooth Tetra Exodon paradoxus (0.0.18)

Flag Cichlids :

(Credits : Fishapod)

Amazon Leaffish :

(Credits : vogelcommando)

In the next days I'll present the remainder of the South American species, plus the African and Asian freshwater species.

Now you can give me your first impressions of this aquatic section.

Stay in touch !