ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Sloth Bears At Whipsnade
- Thread starter JamesB
- Start date
Will be there next week so will get some pictures to post.
Just added half-a-dozen pictures of the exhibit to my member gallery (Maguari Gallery - Photo Gallery). It's not the easiest enclosure to photograph but otherwise I rather like it. It runs along between the Onagers and the Passage Through Asia, with a few large dens and various logs and stuff strewn about. It's simple but effective. The house backs on to the Przewalski's Horse stabling and features indoor show dens with a viewing corridor in standard Whipsnade style. The bears can also be seen from within the drive-through. Two bears (presumably the two females) were out in the paddock and very active; the other (the male, I further assume) was in a back den but able to see and sniff the females (one of the photos shows all three bears). Encouragingly, there was not the slightest sign of any stereotypic behaviour.
The only real criticism I would offer is that the wire mesh fencing is a bit relentless - either a glass viewing area or a raised platform to lift visitors sight-lines over the fence would have been nice. But from the bears' point of view, a very nice enclosure in fact.
The only real criticism I would offer is that the wire mesh fencing is a bit relentless - either a glass viewing area or a raised platform to lift visitors sight-lines over the fence would have been nice. But from the bears' point of view, a very nice enclosure in fact.
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
I just don't get it. Not at all. Please tell me there are two outdoor paddock areas, and not just one and that yard. If they are going to go to the expense of creating a new exhibit surely they could have split the paddock into two? At least on the mappins Lanka could have the top left enclosure. From the photos it just looks like while you can have two bears out in the paddock, you will also have to have one in a concrete yard.
To be honest, I don't think it has been done at any particular expense (and will have only been planned as a sideline to the Cheetah exhibit). I see your point though; it should be possible to subdivide the area somehow (which as far as I could see it isn't at the moment). I think that the back yard is probably a bit larger than it looks in the photos though as I would assume it runs the whole length of the house.
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
Sure, to the visitor, it adds something to the zoo and is pleasing enough. But not only do the bears lose the privacy of den areas being out of public view, but the second outside area to separate the bears appears far, far worse than the option they had at london. As far as I am aware, Lanka, the mother, is usually shut away, so I suspect the youngest female is on contraceptives (this regime could have changed as the offspring both matured). If all the second enclosure entails is a concrete yard, with house access, then I think this is a quantitatively worse option than the facility at London.
I agree that it may not have been that expensive, but when you look at the capital expenditure at the parks, to build a second major carnivore enclosure (and not market it) in the same year as opening a new rhino area seems rather out of keeping with the normal pattern or speed of developments at either zoo. If ZSL are suddenly able to build new enclosures then that is a departure from their current pattern, and you would think possibly there are a few more pressing enclosure improvements that could come before this.
The whole situation looks like another decision by London to offload some unwanted animals to Whipsnade, possibly the staff felt that the bears should be retired there rather than shipped off to the SSP. I get that the mappin terraces are a little messy for such a complex animal, I just feel that it is a shame to just present them in a nice grassy field when actually, if they cannot all live together, there will always be at least one bear in a worse environment than in London. Maybe one of the offspring will eventually leave for the SSP? There is some amazing woodland at Whipsnade, it would have been great to see these animals rooting around under mature trees.
I agree that it may not have been that expensive, but when you look at the capital expenditure at the parks, to build a second major carnivore enclosure (and not market it) in the same year as opening a new rhino area seems rather out of keeping with the normal pattern or speed of developments at either zoo. If ZSL are suddenly able to build new enclosures then that is a departure from their current pattern, and you would think possibly there are a few more pressing enclosure improvements that could come before this.
The whole situation looks like another decision by London to offload some unwanted animals to Whipsnade, possibly the staff felt that the bears should be retired there rather than shipped off to the SSP. I get that the mappin terraces are a little messy for such a complex animal, I just feel that it is a shame to just present them in a nice grassy field when actually, if they cannot all live together, there will always be at least one bear in a worse environment than in London. Maybe one of the offspring will eventually leave for the SSP? There is some amazing woodland at Whipsnade, it would have been great to see these animals rooting around under mature trees.
The pictures show the enclosure for what it is- hurriedly and very cheaply constructed as a retirement home for the bears. They've used a vacant area of paddock and an existing antelope/deer building plus a run of chainlink fencing to produce a 'typical' Whipsnade enclosure. No glass viewing windows provided as this is not a high profile species like the Lions or Cheetahs and also they 'failed' as an exhibit at ZSL. To me the barn and concrete area still looks as if it should contain ungulates. The whole thing is okay but not very imaginative. Perhaps the bears will be happier in these new surroundings though?
I don't know about the viewing areas but I'd be a bit doubtful... the paddock is an existing one, or at least the area that this enclosure occupies.
Probably though I don't remember them. I have seen cranes in there in the past. From the photos its alongside the loop road which passes around the Onager Paddock- about halfway between the drive-in entrance and the exits of the Asian Plains..
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Exactly there. The lechwe are still there too - in the very end paddock facing the cafe building site. A small space between the lechwe and bears is labelled to be developed for cranes.
I recognised the location from the trees and general background!
Your photos are very good- I don't feel any need to go and see this exhibit as a result. You covered all the main angles- building, paddock and location, very well. Are the inside viewing cages just converted from the old ungulate stalls- I'll bet they are!!
Just seen the Sloth Bears at Whipsnade (well, two of them anyway). What a contrast to life at ZSL, they looked really happy, playing and wrestling together, moving around and even tree climbing for food treats. I visited the exhibit several times during the day and they were active each time... The only downside is the third bear is shut away off exhibit while the two are on show...
Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
Why does that happen?