A bonobo was born on New Year's Day, for the second year in a row. Mother is Busira, who gave birth to her second baby after having Sanza in 2017. The bonobo group at Planckendael now counts 21 individuals, one of the largest in Europe.
Planckendael Planckendael News 2022
- Thread starter KevinB
- Start date
The Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper ran an article today on a permit application for new entrance buildings art Planckendael.
The article is a paid article, so I will give a short summary. The existing entrance, which has become too small and narrow, is planned to be demolished after the summer to be replaced by new buildings in environmentally friendly timber frame construction and three large canopies with bamboo and transparent roofs. The existing pelican pond would also be enlarged a bit.
During the construction of the new entrance the old entrance next to the manor house is planned to be used again, with containers for the ticket booths and the gift stop.
The article also mentioned that the renovation of the Asian greenhouse, which they hope to complete by summer, aside from welcoming orangutans will also see the gibbons and crested macaques return. Also mentioned were the construction of the new antelope house and renovation work in the Oceania area, which are supposed to be completed in the coming months.
Planckendael wil nieuwe inkom bouwen: indrukwekkende bamboeluifels als blikvangers
I also found the permit application (In Dutch, only available until January 24th, 2022).
https://omgevingsloketpubliek.omgeving. ... D2f1hmJZ_Q
Personally I would have preferred if they had first worked on further improving exhibits (especially upgrading the European area and the old exhibits in the American area), but I do kind of understand why they want to take this step.
The article is a paid article, so I will give a short summary. The existing entrance, which has become too small and narrow, is planned to be demolished after the summer to be replaced by new buildings in environmentally friendly timber frame construction and three large canopies with bamboo and transparent roofs. The existing pelican pond would also be enlarged a bit.
During the construction of the new entrance the old entrance next to the manor house is planned to be used again, with containers for the ticket booths and the gift stop.
The article also mentioned that the renovation of the Asian greenhouse, which they hope to complete by summer, aside from welcoming orangutans will also see the gibbons and crested macaques return. Also mentioned were the construction of the new antelope house and renovation work in the Oceania area, which are supposed to be completed in the coming months.
Planckendael wil nieuwe inkom bouwen: indrukwekkende bamboeluifels als blikvangers
I also found the permit application (In Dutch, only available until January 24th, 2022).
https://omgevingsloketpubliek.omgeving. ... D2f1hmJZ_Q
Personally I would have preferred if they had first worked on further improving exhibits (especially upgrading the European area and the old exhibits in the American area), but I do kind of understand why they want to take this step.
JurassicMax
Well-Known Member
Sadly one of the cubs died, the gender and name of the remaining cubs has since been revealed. It's a male and was given the name Wishu.
Sources:
Instagram of Zoo Planckendael (01/12/2021) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW79I6ztJIF/
Instagram of Zoo Planckendael (12/01/2022) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYos2t3NQAF/
I saw the remaining cub during my visits in December and earlier this month, I hope to post some pictures in the future.
Nice to know the name now.
Updates from today, January 30th, 2022.
Smaller updates and remarks.
Orangutan project construction site
In this photo an area covered with a thick layer of dark soil can be seen, suggesting this will become a planted area. The old walkway in this area is now almost completely gone and the location of this area confirms that the new, higher walkways, closer to the tree top walk structures, will become the new main walkway.
New antelope house
Not much seems to have obviously changed here since January 2nd. I did however notice that the zone between the new building and the cheetah exhibit (former off-show antelope separation paddock and keeper access to old antelope house) seems to have been cleaned up, perhaps for a new paddock.
Oceania renovation
The Oceania area is currently closed entirely for renovations.
This photo was taken just part the entrance, heading towards the African area. In the background the waterfront aviary can be seen. A little further down the road, past the aviary, stood a truck with construction equipment on the roof.
This is the pond between the Oceania area and the exit road of the South American aviary. Photo taken from said exit road, as were the following photos.
Smaller updates and remarks.
- In the large vulture aviary two keepers were releasing two new cinereous vultures. They took them from their transport crates and put rings on their feet before releasing them.
- In the Asian area some the bamboo lining the elephant viewing area next to the red panda paddock and the reeds next to the adventure trail along the road to the elephant house were cut back. The long grasses in the small exhibit formerly housing Brahma chickens were also recently mowed.
- In the wildlife feeding zone in the European area a new large feeder with several platforms,made from a piece of a tree and with a few small roofs, was added.
- The weaver aviary now houses village weavers, green woodhoopoes and vulturine guineafowl, the golden-breasted starling seems to be gone. The lemur area was not accessible, so I could not check the species composition of the secretary bird aviary.
- I saw the last slender-horned gazelle once more.
- In terms of wildlife I saw a great cormorant, again a feral Indian ring-necked parakeet (and judging by the noise more were around), multiple red squirrels, Eurasian wrens, great tits and blue tits.
- The Geoffroy's marmosets were off-show. The window of their indoor exhibit was taped off with garbage bags. According to a sign on the window the animals aren't feeling well and therefore inside. A cross of black tape had been put over the sign for this species. What exactly this means is not clear to me.
- There was a large pile of fire wood/chopped wood in the former guanaco paddock, not sure what the goal of this would be.
- In the vicuña and Darwin's rhea paddock a new sizable hill of dolomite gravel was created.
Orangutan project construction site
New antelope house
Not much seems to have obviously changed here since January 2nd. I did however notice that the zone between the new building and the cheetah exhibit (former off-show antelope separation paddock and keeper access to old antelope house) seems to have been cleaned up, perhaps for a new paddock.
Oceania renovation
The Oceania area is currently closed entirely for renovations.
What happened to the other slender horned gazelles?
I do find it a flying shame as the species is being exterminated in the wild and Europe is phasing them out. My mind is boiling over We should be saceguarding North African slender horneds as well as actively try to round up wild ones in order to initiate a concerted captive breeding effort in southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Central Europe in close cooperation with North African wildlife and protection law enforcement agentes.
I do find it a flying shame as the species is being exterminated in the wild and Europe is phasing them out. My mind is boiling over We should be saceguarding North African slender horneds as well as actively try to round up wild ones in order to initiate a concerted captive breeding effort in southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Central Europe in close cooperation with North African wildlife and protection law enforcement agentes.
All of the other slender-horned gazelles unfortunately gradually died out over the last couple of years, fist the males then all but one of the females. At the Laafsekikkers there was some discussion about the European population being fairly inbred, and that may have been a contributing factor.
I agree that American zoos should try to maintain their population (I don't know how large it is or if it would for exports to Europe). Not sure about rounding up wild individuals, with regards to ethics or legal and logistical feasibility.
I don't think it is - or rather, was until recently - a deliberate phase-out. To my knowledge, the herd at Planckendael was quite inbred and no other European zoo has had recent succes with the species. There was no way the current population could have been sustained for long. I don't know why they did not acquire new animals. I might simply have been near impossible or it may have made a conscious choice. If the latter is true, I don't blame them: while the species is endangered, it never did particularly well in European zoos outside Plankendael. Removing animals from another population is not worth it - both in terms of animal welfare and conservation - if the fate of the new population is likely the same as the old one.
At the very least, a coordinated effort was required from multiple zoos, and that is also far from a guaranteed succes, even if is was possible to acquire enough individuals without damaging another population.
A lot of the now deceased individuals at Planckendael had rather crooked horns, which I have read people suggesting could be the result of inbreeding. It is true that Planckendael was for some years quite successful at breeding slender-horned gazelles, but I believe other zoos were not, and eventually the breeding also stopped at Planckendael.
It is sad to see the slender-horned gazelles go, but if the population isn't viable and heavily inbred I don't think it is fair to the animals to continue with them in the long term. And in that case it is probably better to focus on species that are doing better (like the Mhorr gazelle and addax). Especially if acquiring animals from another captive population would be logistically or legally challenging. And capturing individuals from the wild is something that would only get the zoo a lot of trouble I'm afraid.
I am happy that at least Planckendael still displays a gazelle species, with the rather attractive (and also very endangered) Mhorr gazelle herd in the giraffe savanna exhibit. Admittedly it is not a breeding herd but a bachelor herd. But, maybe one day in the future they could get some breeding individuals or something (new antelope house?).
I disagree that for animal welfare or ethics not to acquire from elsewhere. Unless you are indifferent to imminent extinction. Eastern slender horned already totally wiped out and western hanging by a thread in the low hundreds.
We should be capturing wild gazelle initiate captive breeding ex situ and recover their numbers. North African and Gulf hunters have been trigger happy to finish of the last herds in Tunisia and Algeria. It is illegal still they do.
There is a plan for conservation 2020 to 2029.
It needs to happen in Algeria and Tunisia ex situ as well as the Almeria research station.
We should be capturing wild gazelle initiate captive breeding ex situ and recover their numbers. North African and Gulf hunters have been trigger happy to finish of the last herds in Tunisia and Algeria. It is illegal still they do.
There is a plan for conservation 2020 to 2029.
It needs to happen in Algeria and Tunisia ex situ as well as the Almeria research station.
Same had happened with wild populations in KSA of Gazella marica. Herds in al Khunfah and Harrat al Harrah totally exterminated. Only populations in As Sudairi and Thumamah's KKWRC near Riyadh.
Keeping inbred herds going is usually not good for animal welfare or conservation. I know it has been done as a last resort to save certain species, but the slender-horned gazelles didn't seem to do very well with it, given how all but one of them died off in a couple of years.
I agree there might be need for ex situ conservation breeding efforts, perhaps even with the support of European zoos (and I believe Planckendael at some point did have some kind of connection to a project in Tunisia), but would that absolutely require the transfer of animals to European zoos, knowing the species historically generally (aside from one zoo) hasn't done that well? I think ex situ programs in the native countries or in warm arid countries would perhaps be preferable, if the poaching cannot be adequately controlled?
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Read my comments: I mentioned Tunisia, Algeria and Spain arid Andalucia. I know my ABC's and have worked along them.
BTW: Both Cuvier's and Mhorr gazelle are also inbred. This happens in small fractured populations and we can even then help recover them.
BTW: Both Cuvier's and Mhorr gazelle are also inbred. This happens in small fractured populations and we can even then help recover them.
I'm sorry, I should have read your post better. I'm having a pretty piss poor day.
Inbreeding will happen, but it should not affect animals too much - and at the point where horns are getting crooked, I'm not sure that is not the case. Someone at the Laafsekikkers also mentioned several gazelles dying of renal failure, not sure where that info came from though.
The first 44 migrating white storks have returned to the colony at Planckendael.
The article mentions the colony now counting about 180 storks, with 82 occupied nests and 107 chicks in 2021.
Eerste 44 ooievaars landen terug op hun nest in Planckendael
The article mentions the colony now counting about 180 storks, with 82 occupied nests and 107 chicks in 2021.
Eerste 44 ooievaars landen terug op hun nest in Planckendael
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I visited Planckendael today and as usual, here are some updates.
General updates and notes
Orangutan project
General updates and notes
- In the Asian aviary closest to the greenhouse the sign for the golden pheasant had been removed and a sign for Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon (Gallicolumba luzonica) had been added. I did not see any however.
- In the European aviary I saw the European turtle doves for the first time, there were four. Quite a nice native species, and one that isn't doing too well unfortunately.
- The chickens and turkeys seem to have been removed from the former macaw aviary. Instead there was another animal in the aviary, which I believe to be a giant wood rail (Aramides ypecaha). Because of a mistake with my camera unfortunately I couldn't not get a picture before the animal retreated inside, and despite returning to the aviary later on I did not get to see it again, so I can't confirm beyond all doubt the species. However the giant wood rail is the only Aramides species present in European zoos according to ZTL and the animal was quite large, about the size of a smll chicken but more slender. Perhaps this addition is the first step towards the improvement of the old aviaries in the American area?
- I saw the bush dogs for the first time in months.
- A few aviaries (European, African waterfront) had new plastic flaps installed at the entrances.
Orangutan project
- Even on a Saturday at least three men were working on the construction of the project.
- Near the entrance of the tree-top walk a concrete slab has been poured, possibly for a future viewing area.
- Next to the zone shown in this photo Orangutan project construction site update, 2022-01-30 - ZooChat what looks like a new, fairly narrow road is being built, possibly another viewing area or a new access road.
- The climbing structures are being constructed further. It looks like they will be quite substantial.
- Construction on the outside of the hall also continues, very little can be seen of what is going on indoors.
- There seems to have been little change compared to a few weeks ago. I saw some black flaps applied to the animal door ways, and a new black metal fence is being constructed in this area: Construction of new antelope house, seen near the cheetahs, 2022-01-30 - ZooChat
- On a banner on one of the construction fences, after a post from someone at the Laafsekikkers, I noticed a drawing of a wild donkey displayed. Perhaps this hints at a future inhabitant? That would certainly be a nice and interesting choice. Another fence banner mentioned a climbing tower, not sure what that exactly refers to.
- I didn't see much change here either from a distance, but it is clear that construction is still going on around the cassowary exhibit. Several construction vehicles were present in the area.
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I take a hard. guess: Somali wild ass, perhaps?
Or is the hoofstock building laid out for more ungulate species ...?
Given that the new house is in the antelope zone, Somali wild ass would make sense.
I don't know what species the new building is built for, I haven't seen any plans.
Here are my photo updates. I have not added any for the Oceania area or the front side of the antelope house as there were no substantial development visible in those images.
Orangutan project
This is the fence banner I discussed earlier:
Area next to the new antelope house, with new fence construction:
The Laafsekikkers Facebook page posted a recent construction update of the orangutan project, showing the construction of new roads and fences.
Facebook Laafsekikkers
Facebook Laafsekikkers