Berlin Tierpark Tierpark Berlin news 2022

Al said:
That will certainly make an interesting exhibit! Do the howlers get on well with the capuchins? The bearded saki have some personality so I think will certainly enjoy the company!
Click to expand...

As far as I have noticed, the young Howlers actually rather tended to pick a bit on the White-Faced Sakis . It never got out of control, but the Sakis often seemed to keep some distance. I haven't noticed much interaction between the Capuchins and the other monkeys. Most of the time, all three species got along well - for all that I observed.
 
The Tierpark supporters collect funds to transform the present Water Buffalo enclosure into a Banteng enclosure. The plan is to create a small complex together with the new enclosure for Otters, Barbirusas and Black Crested Macaques. Originally, the later was scheduled to get finished by this upcoming Spring. I don't think, they will achieve this, though. They only started actually working on this. So quite likely, both enclosures could be presented at the same time (I don't think remodeling Banteng enclosure will need nearly as much planning and work).
 
As there hasn't been any official review nor outlook by Berlin Tierpark itself, I just checked the website of Berlin's parliament to which the park has to report and account regularly (as they get public funding). And in fact, I did find some quite interesting and extensive document dated December 9th.

Here is some of the most relevant as well as some minor information:
-The zoo sold about the same number of daily tickets and 12% fewer annual tickets in 2021 as in 2020. So visitor numbers are likely to have dropped again (just like many other German zoos). However, overall revenue is still expected to have grown a tiny bit.
-Himalaya has been under construction since the beginning of 2021 and is scheduled for completion in Q1 2022. The cost budget of just under €5 mio is expected to be met.
-The Asia enclosure for Otters, Barbirusas and Crested Black Macaques is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. In addition to the known 4 species (the ones just mentioned as well as bantengs on the neighboring site), there should also be a didactic trail. Total budget: around €1 mio.
-African Savannah and Giraffe Trail, should enter construction phase any day now and should reach completion by fall 2022. Cost framework: Around €5.5 mio plus giraffe trail and didactic trail.
-Demolition work and contract award procedures for the elephant house have been completed. The rough part of the construction process is scheduled to start in early 2022. Completion is currently scheduled for May 2023. The cost framework of 35 million euros will probably not be met due to the current situation in the construction industry. They also plan a didactic path here.
-2022, the zoo is to receive new trash cans and additional play elements/mini playgrounds distributed throughout the park to complement the large playgrounds. In addition, the signage will be successively renewed, especially accompanying new construction projects.
-Already completed are the renovation of the sanitary facilities, modernized parking lots, and various measures for unsealing surfaces and replanting the park.

Since I was in the park last Friday, I briefly walked the relevant construction sites.
-Overall, I didn't experience very much activity anywhere.
-Around the Asia enclosure for otters etc they started opening the pavement and planting bambus as well as other plants - in quite a large radius.
-At Himalaya you can "spot" some changes but it is difficult to be sure due to the large distance (you can only look throgh fences and bare trees). I think they painted green fences/grids black and replaced some of them by large windows,while hiding some of the big frames behind wooden elements. This would also be consistent with prior projects like Brehm and monkey building. To be honest, it could also just be my interpretation. It is very difficult to see any details from the distance.
-I also peeked through fences at the Elephant Building, but I couldn't notice much development (most of it takes place or will take place on the inside anyways.
-In the monkey building, the sign for the White-faced Saki could still be found at the old place but the Saki was nowhere to be found. Apparently, they did move it to the Silvery Marmosets in the meantime. I couldn't find any Red-Backed Bearded Sakis yet, nor any sign for them. But they should soon move in with Red Howlers and Cappuchins.
-The Sifakas occupied two indoor enclosures (once a pair and once a single animal).
-Once again no luck with the wildebeests, but a picture with a wildebeest in the snow has been posted in the German Schueling froum.
-My personal highlight were very active Barbary macaques in the snow.
-Despite very cold weather, I met quite a good number of visitors in the park. After all, it was a sunny day and the air was particularly fresh due to the snow.
 
By checking Zootierliste I came along an old but very rare breeding-result archieved by the Tierpark. 2020 the pair of Steere's liocichlas ( aka Taiwan liocichla ) hatched 3 chicks ( 2 males and a female ). Only the female was raised succesfully.
This is a very rarely kept species and only 4 other European zoos have kept it in the past and none of them bred them.
In the 1980s large shipments of birds were imported from Taiwan and I've seen them at several dealers and took care for a pair at a private Dutch collection. I know it was bred at this time by several private aviculturists but now the species seems to be completely disappeared.
Does anybody know if the Berlin-pair bred also in 2021 and has anyone information about the current status of the species at the Tierpark ?
 
markmeier said:
They released a small video which shows the Bearded Vultures inside the renovated enclosure which is part of the new Himalaya Zone. The vultures will receive company by Bobak Marmots by the way.
Click to expand...
Not the best moment I believe to do the release given that winter time is their prime time for breeding. I guess it is no eggs nor hatching bearded vultures this year at Tierpark.
 
Thank you @markmeier for the video.

From what I saw they do nothing particular for the birds in the aviary so I am a little bit disappointed. They just put a viewing point for visitors.

I suppose I have to expect no real improvement for the whole area which is sad. Of course, the enclosures werr quite large in major part but I was hoping some improvements, especially for the carnivores enclosures.
 
@Antoine To a certain agree I also have the same impression: So far, the pattern often has been to use the existing structures as much as possible and mainly give them a fresh, more attractive design as well as some more equipment and enrichment for the animals.
There have been some exceptions, however: The carnivores in the Brehm building have much more space and better enclosures now (both on and off stage). The same goes for the new Elephant building.

If we just consider Himalaya, I guess there will be huge merged mixed-species exhibits as well as slightly refreshed and upgraded known exhibits. A lot of the money will go into the visitor experience. But it still will be a major improvement for many animals in the park (Snow Leopards, Red Pandas, many of the ungulates will all get more space than they have in their present enclosures now).
 
Another fresh update just reached me via the Schueling Forum:
They have indeed started removing bushes and fences at the old zebra enclosures to make space for the merged savannah exhibit.

So at this point, the following projects are under construction:
-Himalaya Zone
-African Savannah
-Elephant Building
-Asia Enclosure for Otters, Barbirusas and Black Crested Macaques (as well as the adjacent exhibit for Bantengs)

For the last 50 years or so, Berlin Tierpark never has seen more large projects all at the same time. Himalaya and Savannah each could entirely fill a small zoo.
 
Berlin Tierpark just officially introduced the latest arrival:

It's actually father and son, Satan and Galileo, which arrived from Belfast. Once they got to know the enclosure, they will get introduced to the Red Howlers and start to live together. The Cappuchins were not even mentioned in the press release. So I'm not sure what the plan is for them. The old Sakis lived together with both Red Howlers and Cappuchins.
 
A local Berlin newspaper got an exclusive tour through the still developing Himalaya Zone and published some early pictures as well as information. Check this link for the pictures:
Der Himalaya soll das neue Tierpark-Highlight werden

And this is what they write (this time translated by DeepL Translate – Der präziseste Übersetzer der Welt rather than myself):
B.Z. has already been to visit
The Himalaya is to become the new zoo highlight

It won't be long now before a HIGHLY interesting attraction opens in the zoo!

Enchanted, the paths wind through dense bamboo. Again and again, narrow paths branch off for particularly daring explorers. The further up the mountain you go, the more sparse the vegetation becomes.

Then, at a height of about 30 meters, it's done: welcome to the roof of the world. Welcome to the new "Himalaya Mountain World" in the zoo!

This spring, the new themed area is to open on the old rubble mountain. The model is the Khangchendzonga National Park on the Indian-Nepalese border. "The area covers around 60,000 square meters," says project manager Christoph Schwarz (41) from the signage and didactics team during a tour of the construction site. "Other zoos are not that big overall."

Bamboo for more than 100,000 euros was planted, 20 employees of the construction company and many gardeners from the zoo are now putting the finishing touches on the plant.

Three animal residents have already moved into their enclosures: Snow leopards Layla and Batar and a still nameless female manul (Pallas's Cat). The wildcat lives at the very top of the plateau, which is modeled on a 7500-meter Himalayan peak. A little further down, takins, red pandas and crested deer will soon be moving in. Visitors should get closer to them than anywhere else.

"The Himalayas are important for the world's climate, about two billion people depend on its water," says the project manager "We want to bring this fascination to life."
Click to expand...

Of course, they forgot about the Bearded Vultures, making it at least 5 animals which already live in their new enclosures. Or perhaps the tour took place before the vultures moved back in.

By the way: This specific Berlin newspaper traditionally lays a strong focus on Berlin's city zoo Zoologischer Garten Berlin. This small tour through the huge Himalaya landscape must have deeply impressed them, though. They even consider the possibility of having Berlin Tierpark becoming an equal to the Zoo or even overtaking it in the long run (perhaps that is also why they got the tour rather than newspapers from the "eastern" part of the city which already write a lot about the Tierpark).

While I have always taken a strong(er) liking for Berlin Tierpark, I still see Berlin Zoo ahead for obvious reasons (more central location with a public transport hub next door, stronger highlights like Big Pandas, Apes etc. as well as higher density of highlights). So particularly for tourists, it has always been the Zoo and will still be the Zoo. It may be a different story for local residents, however: If you take the Aquarium out of the count, Berliners already are split about equally between Berlin Zoo and Berlin Tierpark (often depending on where in Berlin they live and also where they used to live and go as a child).
 
Wow ! Could someone confirm the snow leopards are in the former wolverine area because I didn't recognyze it at all. Looks good, better than for the bearded vultures. Will be interesting to see the whole enclosure.
Thank you @markmeier our local reporter ;)
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
And the wolverines?

African savannah and any mention of rhinos African moving in at some point near elephants?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there haven't been any wolverines for quite some years now. I don't think they will get any in the near future either.

And I haven't heard anything about African Rhinos for quite some time. I am afraid they may have sacked prior plans. They may either come in the not-so-near future or never. I would certainly miss rhinos, though.
 
markmeier said:
Unfortunately, there haven't been any wolverines for quite some years now. I don't think they will get any in the near future either.

And I haven't heard anything about African Rhinos for quite some time. I am afraid they may have sacked prior plans. They may either come in the not-so-near future or never. I would certainly miss rhinos, though.
Click to expand...
Given the African theming and the large hoofstock emphasis at Tierpark African black rhinos are indispensable. It was the plan to have no double spp. at Berlin Zoo versus Tierpark and I cannot see greater one horned rhino returning tilo TB with Berlin Zoo opening Asian rhinos tapir building in 2022. The 2-3 black rhino in the back of BZ need a better accomodaties and deserve a new exhibit at TB.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Given the African theming and the large hoofstock emphasis at Tierpark African black rhinos are indispensable. It was the plan to have no double spp. at Berlin Zoo versus Tierpark and I cannot see greater one horned rhino returning tilo TB with Berlin Zoo opening Asian rhinos tapir building in 2022. The 2-3 black rhino in the back of BZ need a better accomodaties and deserve a new exhibit at TB.
Click to expand...

Let's hope this will happen! I totally agree that rhinos should return to Berlin Tierpark and African Rhinos would well fit into the large African zone.
 
markmeier said:
Let's hope this will happen! I totally agree that rhinos should return to Berlin Tierpark and African Rhinos would well fit into the large African zone.
Click to expand...
Black rhino as former BZ stock, not the white rhino from before (remember bull Kusini ... spelled disaster).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top