On an fine early Spring day with not many visitors around it was possible , by dodging school parties , to be almost alone in many of the exhibits .
Gorilla Kingdom - the colobus including 2 babies were on the island in the morning ( gorillas shut in ) though not straying far from ' bridge tree ' . Three female gorillas looked fine doing their own thing with no observed interaction . Hand-reared baby mangabey being introduced to group including her younger brother but very wary of them , particularly her mother .
Zoo World - mostly occupied by ' Animals in Action ' stars , also meercats and Alaotra lemurs .
Animal Adventure - new enclosures being developed at top end , near newly white painted old Penguin Pool , lots of new planting going on here .
Blackburn Pavilion - my first visit , I liked it though would have preferred fewer birds in the main walk-through area . Three emerald humming-birds ( all female according to ISIS ) housed next to each other , some lovely sun-birds also - not certain how it would be here when full of visitors . Outside , toco toucans and black hornbills bred last year .
Meet the Monkeys - the squirrel monkeys were out hunting for early insects , shame this is through fairly low shrubs rather than trees , no sign of any births in the group .
Cat Terraces - pair of tigers both out but on opposite sides of enclosure , red river hogs in former leopard enclosure , 2 baby Sulawesi macaques .
Butterfly Paradise - too hot for glasses or camera , well-stocked including some impressive Atlas moths .
Clore - nice to see pair of titi monkeys with tails entwined , now have 2 trumpeters in Lookout , did not see cloud rats or tamandua , quarantine area seems to be permanently closed off to visitors .
Into Africa - red river hog enclosure being refenced for a hunting dog extension , 3 lovely warthogs . Not much to see on Upper Terraces , pair of okapi both out , no tapirs outside and their House closed ( seems to be under quarantine with limited access notice and foot-bath ) .
Reptile House - most enclosures in use , very impressive planting and land-scaping and a very varied collection . Did not see Phillipine crocs. Lovely king cobra , very pale .
Aquarium - Hall 3 devoted to the Amazon Basin with exhibits by habitat including several with darkly tinted water , Hall 2 has some wonderful small reef exhibits withe lots of live coral and colourful small fish . The exit has good rock-pool tanks including lesser octopus and pink fan coral .
B.U.G.S. also lots of good exhibits , naked mole-rats active , mixed exhibit of Montserrat oriole and chicken frog .
Outback - not impressed , interestingly not mentioned in new guide book or shown on map .
I felt that the exhibits of reptiles and amphibians , fish and other aquatics , invertebrates and bird collection were all impressive . The mammal collection was much weaker in my opinion .
Gorilla Kingdom - the colobus including 2 babies were on the island in the morning ( gorillas shut in ) though not straying far from ' bridge tree ' . Three female gorillas looked fine doing their own thing with no observed interaction . Hand-reared baby mangabey being introduced to group including her younger brother but very wary of them , particularly her mother .
Zoo World - mostly occupied by ' Animals in Action ' stars , also meercats and Alaotra lemurs .
Animal Adventure - new enclosures being developed at top end , near newly white painted old Penguin Pool , lots of new planting going on here .
Blackburn Pavilion - my first visit , I liked it though would have preferred fewer birds in the main walk-through area . Three emerald humming-birds ( all female according to ISIS ) housed next to each other , some lovely sun-birds also - not certain how it would be here when full of visitors . Outside , toco toucans and black hornbills bred last year .
Meet the Monkeys - the squirrel monkeys were out hunting for early insects , shame this is through fairly low shrubs rather than trees , no sign of any births in the group .
Cat Terraces - pair of tigers both out but on opposite sides of enclosure , red river hogs in former leopard enclosure , 2 baby Sulawesi macaques .
Butterfly Paradise - too hot for glasses or camera , well-stocked including some impressive Atlas moths .
Clore - nice to see pair of titi monkeys with tails entwined , now have 2 trumpeters in Lookout , did not see cloud rats or tamandua , quarantine area seems to be permanently closed off to visitors .
Into Africa - red river hog enclosure being refenced for a hunting dog extension , 3 lovely warthogs . Not much to see on Upper Terraces , pair of okapi both out , no tapirs outside and their House closed ( seems to be under quarantine with limited access notice and foot-bath ) .
Reptile House - most enclosures in use , very impressive planting and land-scaping and a very varied collection . Did not see Phillipine crocs. Lovely king cobra , very pale .
Aquarium - Hall 3 devoted to the Amazon Basin with exhibits by habitat including several with darkly tinted water , Hall 2 has some wonderful small reef exhibits withe lots of live coral and colourful small fish . The exit has good rock-pool tanks including lesser octopus and pink fan coral .
B.U.G.S. also lots of good exhibits , naked mole-rats active , mixed exhibit of Montserrat oriole and chicken frog .
Outback - not impressed , interestingly not mentioned in new guide book or shown on map .
I felt that the exhibits of reptiles and amphibians , fish and other aquatics , invertebrates and bird collection were all impressive . The mammal collection was much weaker in my opinion .
