I'm still waiting on some evidence though.....He did not look very hard .
South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes news thread 2015
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
bluetoffeezoo
Well-Known Member
www.otterjoy.com/otterinfo/pteronura/.../brasiliensis_captive.html
The first living Giant Otter came to Europe in 1899, to Berlin Zoo. Giant Otters have ... of age or older). A total of only 30 cubs (from 5 of the 8 institutions) were successfully reared. ... Eighteen cubs were parent-reared and two were hand-reared.
The first living Giant Otter came to Europe in 1899, to Berlin Zoo. Giant Otters have ... of age or older). A total of only 30 cubs (from 5 of the 8 institutions) were successfully reared. ... Eighteen cubs were parent-reared and two were hand-reared.
yes I have read that already. The information in it comes from the husbandry manual for giant otters, which surely South Lakes possesses (or at least has access to). However, the salient points of Gill's post (quoted in post #1 of this thread) are:
1) "Today we had 4 Giant Otter pups born, these amazing mammals are not commonly bred in captivity."
This is true in as much as while they have been bred in many zoos, successful rearing of the young has not been great.
2) "We cannot find any record of a successful hand rearing from birth of Giant Otters so live in hope."
The point Gill is making is "from birth". There have been many links posted by bigcat speciali (including the one you used yourself) purporting to refute this, but which do nothing of the sort. Several of the articles in his links don't even mention giant otters which makes me question if he even read them (or understood them). Giant otters have indeed been handreared on several occasions, both captive-bred and wild-bred, but none (as far as I have been able to determine) have been from birth. The youngest have been almost a week old and the oldest several months old.
The previously mentioned meeting to discuss the zoos licence took place yesterday (Tuesday) however press and public were not welcome for most of it - so the outcome is not yet clear
North West Evening Mail | Home | Meeting to determine "suitability" of Dalton zoo boss taking place today
North West Evening Mail | Home | Meeting to determine "suitability" of Dalton zoo boss taking place today
zooboy28
Well-Known Member
So the EEP's plan to combat that is to stop breeding? I'm surprised there aren't a good number of zoo's queuing up for this species.
There probably are but they're not eaza and therefore won't be considered. Such a shame as i expect alot of non eaza zoos would be more than capable of looking after this species.
From this report it seems clear that he was issued with a warning, much as I expected. I think that's a fair decision in the circumstances, I certainly would not have thought just the Ibis escapes in themselves- despite being potentially damaging environmentally- would ever have warranted closure of the Zoo/Park. However this man seems to have a lot of enemies and so there could have been other agendas at work here too.
Animal Friendly
Well-Known Member
Yes I thought giving Mr.Gill an official warning regarding the license of the zoo would have been the outcome of this meeting, normal council procedure under the circumstances. There was no chance of the zoo being closed down in this instance,despite all not being well at this establishment. I do suspect that some members on here would have been delighted if this had been the case though, not thinking what would have happened to the animals or people's jobs. Hopefully Mr. Gill will take good notice of this warning and things will now change for the better.
I suspect the outcome that most people would have hoped for was the zoo being kept open, but Gill himself being told to step down and hand over control to another individual who would hopefully bring the collection out of the mire it has become bogged down in - I doubt there is anyone on here who wants the entire place to close down. Certainly I don't.
From the park facebook page
"Padang will not be on view for a few weeks as he has gone on "holiday" until his new accommodations have been completed. anyone who has visited in the last 2 months will have seen the major work going on as part of the new SAFARI ZOO development. The new Sumatran Tiger experience should be open by Easter.."
They also state that the new Avery will be open in four weeks time.
I hope that Padang comes back well from his "holiday"
"Padang will not be on view for a few weeks as he has gone on "holiday" until his new accommodations have been completed. anyone who has visited in the last 2 months will have seen the major work going on as part of the new SAFARI ZOO development. The new Sumatran Tiger experience should be open by Easter.."
They also state that the new Avery will be open in four weeks time.
I hope that Padang comes back well from his "holiday"
Waddi
Well-Known Member
Who, locally to SL, has a spare enclosure that can safely and comfortably house a male adult Sumatran tiger, and is also on good enough terms with Gill to help him out.
Lakeland wildlife oasis have the 2nd snow leopard enclosure that was used to split the male off when the cubs were born but does that have it's own indoor housing.
Or has padang just moved off show but still within SL?
Lakeland wildlife oasis have the 2nd snow leopard enclosure that was used to split the male off when the cubs were born but does that have it's own indoor housing.
Or has padang just moved off show but still within SL?
bigcat speciali
Well-Known Member
"South Lakes Wild Animal Park We have a number of off show facilities for most species and we have many friends in other major Zoos who take animals for periods whilst we develop just as we help out other zoos from time to time"
You will note that from the previous nights comments regarding this bizarre statement from South Lakes have been removed. Instead you have a few as well as the comment from South Lakes. Many of the comments were asking why and where and to whom, all went unanswered and then deleted. Many people and various other keepers have made comments elsewhere via social media, many are as confused as the public. Dave Gill being very coy, very secretive and somewhat daft, which we all agree and know. There has been mumblings that Padang has been sent to a private collection or to a collection which has a bad reputation. Some have said WHF, others have said Lacy, and others have given some other names into the mix, some have even said that the tiger is dead. Whatever and wherever the tiger has gone to, you can be rest assured that it is not a good place and hence the reason why Dave Gill has gone very quiet and very secretive.
Popped over to the zoo today. Few things of note:
* Hippos have moved over to the new site, which can be sign from a high walkway but not very well. They appear to have an outside heated pool (certainly, the noise from a generator nearby sounded like it was being heated and the hippos were wet as if they'd just been in), the pair looked pretty happy in the newer, larger enclosure. They've taken the old signs down from the old hippo house - you'd have to know they had hippos and be on the lookout to catch a glimpse.
* The Babirusa have disappeared. No signs where old house was. Assume they have moved over to the new site. Who knows.
* Fence has been removed from the middle of the two tiger enclosures. Doesn't seem like they were doing much in there, but then it is a sunday...
*No sign of impending Giraffe birth. A keeper said that they 'thought' the girrafe was probably pregnant, but that it wasn't confirmed and they didn't know if/when it was due. It looked fairly pregnant from where I was standing
*Giant otters were locked inside
*Jaguar cubs seem to be fattening up/growing well
*In the 'walkaround' area there seemed to be overrun with Prairie dogs. There were burrowing holes everywhere. Who knows how many there really are, but I thought that they must reproduce fairly quickly?! Perhaps it's time to move some on to another collection before they take over the zoo!
* Hippos have moved over to the new site, which can be sign from a high walkway but not very well. They appear to have an outside heated pool (certainly, the noise from a generator nearby sounded like it was being heated and the hippos were wet as if they'd just been in), the pair looked pretty happy in the newer, larger enclosure. They've taken the old signs down from the old hippo house - you'd have to know they had hippos and be on the lookout to catch a glimpse.
* The Babirusa have disappeared. No signs where old house was. Assume they have moved over to the new site. Who knows.
* Fence has been removed from the middle of the two tiger enclosures. Doesn't seem like they were doing much in there, but then it is a sunday...
*No sign of impending Giraffe birth. A keeper said that they 'thought' the girrafe was probably pregnant, but that it wasn't confirmed and they didn't know if/when it was due. It looked fairly pregnant from where I was standing
*Giant otters were locked inside
*Jaguar cubs seem to be fattening up/growing well
*In the 'walkaround' area there seemed to be overrun with Prairie dogs. There were burrowing holes everywhere. Who knows how many there really are, but I thought that they must reproduce fairly quickly?! Perhaps it's time to move some on to another collection before they take over the zoo!
bigcat speciali
Well-Known Member
So if all the Gills are at the Ranch, who is incharge of the otter pups, given that he said he was?
I asked about them a week ago, South Lakes has not replied. I think they are dead.
bigcat speciali
Well-Known Member
I have a feeling that they are dead. It is a tad odd that Gill was saying how he was incharge of these otter pups, his wife was back at their Ranch and then Gill himself is now over their. I too have asked but like yourself, those emails and telephone calls have gone unanswered.
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The Gills or the Otters?
Sorry, couldn't resist!
(Mods. Please feel free to delete, but we need a bit of humour in relation to SL from time to time.)