ZSL London Zoo Signage for vulture?

cornu aspersum

cornu aspersum

Well-Known Member
Next to the squirrel monkey cage(non walkthrough) I noticed a sign which simply said: 'Vultures' pointing towards the direction of the aviary block holding waldrapp and sacred ibis, harrier hawks and wooly necked storks. After going back towards that direction I saw no such enclosure. Did I miss them or was the sign incorrect? I have no photos of the sign and I apologize if this has been discussed before.
 
Rohin said:
Next to the squirrel monkey cage(non walkthrough) I noticed a sign which simply said: 'Vultures' pointing towards the direction of the aviary block holding waldrapp and sacred ibis, harrier hawks and wooly necked storks. After going back towards that direction I saw no such enclosure. Did I miss them or was the sign incorrect? I have no photos of the sign and I apologize if this has been discussed before.
Click to expand...

That sign is probably a bit out of date as I don’t think vultures have been in that row for a while. They used to be just for birds of prey
 
I believe the London Zoo held Rüppell's griffon vulture before Land of the Lions opened, perhaps they were formerly kept in that bird row?
 
There were also king vultures at London until around 2016 which I think may have also been kept in that row of aviaries, although a more regular visitor probably knows better than I do.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
There were also king vultures at London until around 2016 which I think may have also been kept in that row of aviaries, although a more regular visitor probably knows better than I do.
Click to expand...
Indeed these aviaries (known as the Western Aviary and currently housing the ibis, storks and harriers mentioned above) did house King Vultures until fairly recently, and as such were labelled as vultures on earlier editions of the zoo’s map, such as this one from 2013, which would likely explain the sign.

Personally, the King Vulture is a species that I would love to see return to London Zoo, being one of the more attractive vulture species and much rarer in British collections than the Griffons currently housed in Land of the Lions, although with the only Asian Woollynecks in the country and one of only eight displays of African Harriers in Europe (although the majority of those are in the UK), the Western Aviary still has a fair amount of interest to offer.
 
Kalaw said:
Indeed these aviaries (known as the Western Aviary and currently housing the ibis, storks and harriers mentioned above) did house King Vultures until fairly recently......
Click to expand...
Applogies for being pedantic but this row of aviaries was known as the Eastern Aviary.

(The Western Aviary, located behind the Mappin Terraces, was demolished decades ago.)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top