South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes 2013

Status
Not open for further replies.
Any idea on what exactly is pregnant? The lemurs seem to do well every year. I'm hoping to see another otter pup this year from the two giant otters. The expansion is cracking on - I drove past this week but we hope to go again before the free admission finishes ;)
 
Ooops sorry, thought i'd mentioned that it is giraffes that are pregnant :)
Also chatted with primate keeper as a spider monkey looks heavily pregnant and she said that although she had only had a baby about a year ago she certainly looked and acted pregnant again so looks like they will soon have a new spider monkey too.
The free admission is brilliant - i am also hoping to go again before that finishes!
 
Figured you meant the Kordofan giraffe!? Nice to know we will see some births for a change!:)

Since, we are at it … any idea what happened to male Karel (Rothschild's, born 1999 in Dvur) and the 2 hybrid males Sentanta (born 2003 in Belfast) and Earl (born March 2006 in Belfast)?

If I am correct they still hold male Tibor (ex Praha - 2002) and Bo (born February 2006 in Belfast)?
 
We can only hope the pregnancy is a pure Kordofan, and that the hybrid male did not get at the cows....
 
Yeah its great news on the pregnancies, i'm hoping to visit again before the end of free entry so i'll keep you posted on any developments :)

I honestly don't know what happened to the other giraffes, there are no information boards up in the giraffe house regarding past or present giraffes which i always think would be helpful.

Tibor and Bo are there and in fine form :) Tibor was showing dominating behavious towards Bo yesterday which included him rather awkwardly trying to mount Bo. This didn't last very long as Bo decided to go and stand outside.

I hope at some point the giraffe house will be made bigger as it is a little crowded as it is and if all predictions are correct three youngsters will make a very tight squeeze to fit in the house.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
We can only hope the pregnancy is a pure Kordofan, and that the hybrid male did not get at the cows....
Click to expand...

The house and outdoor area is completely seperate and keepers assure me that this has been the case entirely, however i have seen all giraffes mixing together when let out in the paddock so i can only keep my fingers crossed that any babies will be pure Kordofan
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Since, we are at it … any idea what happened to male Karel (Rothschild's, born 1999 in Dvur) and the 2 hybrid males Sentanta (born 2003 in Belfast) and Earl (born March 2006 in Belfast)?

If I am correct they still hold male Tibor (ex Praha - 2002) and Bo (born February 2006 in Belfast)?
Click to expand...

In the first part of 2009 the post-mortem of one of South Lakes's Giraffes was shown on the Channel 4 program "Inside Natures Giants" - At the time (although he wasn't named) the bull was described as being two and half years old - which would fit with it being Earl (if Bo is still alive)
 
The Giraffes are mixed both inside and outside. Sometimes they are kept separate, but this isn't always the case. I do hope they don't end up with a hybrid baby, though if they do I suspect they will just pretend it's not anyway....

The last few times I asked keepers what kinds of Giraffes they held, they denied all knowledge of having a hybrid and said that they were all 'west African' Giraffes. In fact, I once got in an argument will Gill who said that "there is no such thing as subspecies of Giraffe" LOL!

Anyway, the two males do seem a bit confused. I've seen the larger and even the smaller of the two trying to mount eachother :o
 
alfiethetortois said:
The last few times I asked keepers what kinds of Giraffes they held, they denied all knowledge of having a hybrid and said that they were all 'west African' Giraffes. In fact, I once got in an argument will Gill who said that "there is no such thing as subspecies of Giraffe" LOL!
Click to expand...

Technically he is right, as current thinking is that most - if not all - subspecies of Giraffe actually represent full species ;) but this claim by Gill is still highly ironic when one considers that when he *does* claim to have subspecific giraffes, he claims to have West African (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) rather than the Kordofan (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) that he does have!

Naturally anyone who mentions the fact they are Kordofan on FB finds themselves unable to comment on the page anymore.....
 
The inside and top outdoor area is seperate it is just the paddock that is open, when i asked keepers if how they managed to keep them seperate when out in paddock we were told they alternate the days they let them out but i have fed them outside whilst they were mixed so they do mix in the paddock.

I have to say everytime i have spoke to keepers they acknowledge and inform me that they hold two different types - hence why they are seperate as people always ask.

Could the males confusion be due to hormones etc from the females who are in close proximity but kept seperately?
 
@@All, Thanks for all comments!

I do hope Gill has not been a bust up this time. The breeding of hybrid calfs from very rare Kordofans would be a right daff diffy … I assume - given their long-standing support for the Niger giraffe project - he is not as stupid to have the hybrids make a balls Fargo of his breeding group.

I would hope he also cleans up his act and that all the non Kordofans will leave before long!!!

Any indications / rumors that the giraffes are up for the extension area too?
 
I haven't heard anything about the Giraffe's moving onto the new site. But I do remember that the Hippo's are, and with the Mardrill's already gone far into Europe (!) then maybe they are planning to utilise that space for the giraffes. Or here's hoping!
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
@@All, Thanks for all comments!

I do hope Gill has not been a bust up this time. The breeding of hybrid calfs from very rare Kordofans would be a right daff diffy … I assume - given their long-standing support for the Niger giraffe project - he is not as stupid to have the hybrids make a balls Fargo of his breeding group.

I would hope he also cleans up his act and that all the non Kordofans will leave before long!!!

Any indications / rumors that the giraffes are up for the extension area too?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you KB because if my sources are correct any calfs born here will be marked as hybrids until they have been DNA tested,by the giraffe studbook!!
 
I haven't heard anything about giraffes moving but they do need a bit more space for days when they can't get out in the paddock. Also any babies will be on show asap which means i'll be there as soon after the births as i can to get pictures and info from keepers :)
If i get there again in a couple of weeks i'll ask about any moves planned for giraffes etc!
 
zoogiraffe said:
I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you KB because if my sources are correct any calfs born here will be marked as hybrids until they have been DNA tested,by the giraffe studbook!!
Click to expand...

I dunno bout holding me breath …, but I live in fear with you! :)

Technically their Kordofan male is sufficiently old to breed, but those conflicting reports of (ad-)mixing all and sundry give way too much room for the other males having a go ..! I do agree a full DNA test is what should happen first and foremost.

Why the studbook has not ordered Gill and Co. to clean up their act and separate this valuable import stock from their other giraffe and how it came to be the hybrids and all are still there is anybody's best guessing beyond …, but then Gill makes a good Wuthering Heights … won't he … (as in impossible to work with) :mad:
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I dunno bout holding me breath …, but I live in fear with you! :)

Technically their Kordofan male is sufficiently old to breed, but those conflicting reports of (ad-)mixing all and sundry give way too much room for the other males having a go ..! I do agree a full DNA test is what should happen first and foremost.

Why the studbook has not ordered Gill and Co. to clean up their act and separate this valuable import stock from their other giraffe and how it came to be the hybrids and all are still there is anybody's best guessing beyond …, but then Gill makes a good Wuthering Heights … won't he … (as in impossible to work with) :mad:
Click to expand...
I believe he has been asked to send the hybrid to another collection on a couple of occasions but,it has never happened yet because somebody knows better than the current studbook holder and the one before him!!.
 
Last edited:
@ZG, that is exactly what I was both thinking / saying. I have all the faith in the studbook keepers code of practice and excellence. It is just that Herr SLWP is round another bent … altogether.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Technically he is right, as current thinking is that most - if not all - subspecies of Giraffe actually represent full species ;) but this claim by Gill is still highly ironic when one considers that when he *does* claim to have subspecific giraffes, he claims to have West African (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) rather than the Kordofan (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) that he does have!

Naturally anyone who mentions the fact they are Kordofan on FB finds themselves unable to comment on the page anymore.....
Click to expand...

I wouldn`t trust anything Gill says, he is a law unto himself and should have been properly booted out of the zoo community years ago. Come to think of it he actually was distanced by most of the main established zoos during the first few years of setting up SLWP for his poor reputation, and the untimely and unnecessary deaths of animals given to him by other zoos at the time.
 
banham.tiger said:
can any one tell me about there new cat enclosures?

are there separate exhibits for both tiger species.

are all the cats getting new areas.

and what about there old ones.

and where are the snow leopards currently held.

thanks i know its a lot to ask!;)
Click to expand...

just scrolling up the thread and found this ... the tiger is staying where he is with the jaguar's in the neighbouring enclosure.
lions are moving to a new enclosure on the expansion meaning that they no longer have to share with the snow leopards which is fantastic as the lions always seem so stressed out when shut inside and the snow leopards seem really lethargic constantly probably due to being inside so often and being used to sleeping so much of the day away.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top