I had a really relaxed walk around the zoo today. It was pleasantly quiet, warm and many of the ridiculously overgrown areas have been cut, whilst keeping selected areas ‘wild’. It looked & felt good, pretty much everywhere on site.
A number of vivariums are empty in the tropical house. The large female Tomistoma can be seen in the pool through the exit door in Croc Swamp. There are Blue Monitors in the old monkey house reptile nursery which would look great back on display as they’re so active. There are new tanks for Crocodile and Emperor newts in the Amphibian Ark - this area is fantastic when it’s quiet, a real treat!
Some of the entrance pathways at the stalled Baboon Hill enclosure were being fenced off today ahead of sheep being added to manage the grass. Though it’s ‘better’ than being left empty, that will be three sheep enclosures in one exotic zoo - could they not add Dartmoor & Exmoor ponies - they wouldn’t need stabling?
It looks like the Cockatoos have gone or been moved off show. The Red Headed Cranes are back in the enclave aviary and the oriental stork has gone back in with the Scarlet Ibis.
The screening has been removed along the fence at the pelicans and it was joyful to be so close to them swimming! Two Sacred I is have been added to the pelican exhibit.
The old small monkey aviaries, accessed by overhead chutes above the visitor walkway have been removed, along with the ‘porch’ at the squirrel monkey house.
Overall, despite the recent wave of redundancies (mainly to admin & education staff), the zoo felt positive, and it wasn’t just the weather!!