Paignton Zoo Paignton Zoo News 2019
- Thread starter Gigit
- Start date
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's the building behind the former meerkat area.
I agree it seems odd to move Bruce now! As a fairly elderly animal who has lived happily in his current enclosure for years it must be a risk. I have never had problems seeing him and he was very active when I visited recently even on a December afternoon . It will never be a better view through glass than can be got now!
Does it help to have more space for the red pandas?
Do they need more space ? It isn't small as red panda exhibits go! And will giving them the Echidna enclosure really make much difference? I would suggest the UK's only Echidna's welfare is of more significance, but that's just my opinion
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
The Echidna exhibit is quite small anyway, can't imagine the extra 8-10 yards it would add to the Red Panda's would make any difference.
I don't understand why (apart from geographical problems) they don't combine the panda/echidna enclosures. It would give more floor space to Bruce, more climbing opportunities for the pandas, and a bit of enrichment for both species. Echidna on the ground, pandas in the trees, hopefully never the twain shall meet!
All of this, and thanks Gigit, is confirmation in my mind that the planned Savannah exhibit has been postponed or shelved. My concern now are all of the big spaces not being used. Something will need to be added to the paddock )ex bison/Anoa) next to the nocturnal house. The cheetah extension, Takin enclosure & Saki aviary all need completing & the Lechwe paddock has an emu in it! The Orang island is pending too! The zoo still holds tree shrews, so maybe they're going in the nocturnal house too?
Tree shrews are diurnal (except for the pen-tailed tree shrew, which has never been kept in a European zoo, according to Zootierliste).
I think the chevrotains are at Newquay, though I suppose they could move to Paignton if the Nocturnal House were revamped. I suppose everything depends on the status of the Savanna plans, if they are postponed indefinitely the former meerkat area and the kusimanse enclosures could be redeveloped - as the remaining kusimanses are getting quite old.
No mammals allowed in or out currently?
I'm not sure what exactly the regulations are. There may be exceptions for some species or for specimens that were or will be completely isolated from any possibility of infection, for example by being kept indoors and cared for by different staff. Anyway new developments do not happen rapidly at Paignton, so we can hope that the restrictions can be lifted by the time everything is ready.
Early next season at the earliest
Gigit
Well-Known Member
To be fair, there are two emus in the lechwe paddock! I wonder what's going to happen to the former badger area which was destined to be a vulture aviary in the Savannah plans? That's a big empty space too, although it did look glorious last summer when it was full of flowers. And I don't suppose many people spot the lone Darwin's rhea in the neighbouring enclosure, also a large space.
Other outstanding jobs, which probably need to be completed before Easter, are the new Gibbon House, some sort of platform structure in Lemur Wood (started a while ago) and some of the parrot aviaries where work also began some time ago and seems to have stopped.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Gigit
Well-Known Member
The zoo is now home to 3 Desertas wolf spiders:
When you have eight legs but still need a hand... | Paignton Zoo
When you have eight legs but still need a hand... | Paignton Zoo
Not sure this is a good idea,, he is always active outside , I hope he won't be imprisoned in the nocturnal house
He had a travel box in his enclosure the last time we visited - which would have been summer last year - so he may just be heading in for a checkup or something. I also think it would be a shame to move him into the nocturnal house if that is the plan though.
(Reproducing my comment from the gallery here for relevance/visibility)
It would be quite a pity if he was - he is far more active and visible than *any* echidna I have ever seen in a nocturnal exhibit, and people with longer memories have noted that he was very inactive and unshowy when in a nocturnal exhibit at Bristol;as such I think putting him in a dark enclosure would be an overall negative.
It would be quite a pity if he was - he is far more active and visible than *any* echidna I have ever seen in a nocturnal exhibit, and people with longer memories have noted that he was very inactive and unshowy when in a nocturnal exhibit at Bristol;as such I think putting him in a dark enclosure would be an overall negative.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Wow! 10 year old male orang, Wousan, was in the showden today with Chinta and her 5 year old daughter for possibly the first time (a volunteer wasn't sure if they'd been together at the weekend). Not only that but Chinta, who has a history of aggression and who never seemed keen on the previous male Demo, was tolerating him. They were skirting round each other to some extent. Natalia seemed a bit wary of him and was keeping out of his way - she's only ever had the company of her mother. Not earth-shattering news for most Zoochatters, but certainly significant for Paignton's orangs.