ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade 2014 #2

Panthera1981 said:
Not quite yet my friend-still building the accommodation behind the kudu/impala stables afaik!;)

Nice to see ZSL empthasised they'll be off-show when they arrive, but it's still a missed opportunity imo. Surely wouldnt cost much to reconvert the facility once the girls return to London. Plus, what zoo has both African AND Asian lions on site and on exhibit?!?!?
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As far as I am aware thanks to a motion passed by Zoo vets of very high authority, zoos are not allowed to keep African AND Asiatic lions in the same facilitiy in the UK? - Maybe this is allowed as it is only temporary??

I do not know the full extent of this rule but it does seem a bit of a shame to me to be honest, apparently to restrict diseases spreading but in seperate enclosures I see no problem. Several places keep several subspecies of tiger with ease!
 
Riziki said:
As far as I am aware thanks to a motion passed by Zoo vets of very high authority, zoos are not allowed to keep African AND Asiatic lions in the same facilitiy in the UK? - Maybe this is allowed as it is only temporary??

I do not know the full extent of this rule but it does seem a bit of a shame to me to be honest, apparently to restrict diseases spreading but in seperate enclosures I see no problem. Several places keep several subspecies of tiger with ease!
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Considering both groups are housed at opposite ends of the park (and NOT in the same enclosure/facility) I see no problem either! Your absolutely correct with regards tiger subspecies, so the mind boggles!

I'm clutching at straws but did the lion subspecies separate more recently between themselves than the tiger subspecies did? Maybe something to do with disease transfer?
 
The difference between lion subspecies is less than that of human races (so I've read). They are certainly incredibly close, not sure how that compares to tiger subspecies though.

But if normal species to species procedures are followed within Animal Care teams (footdips, hand washing etc like most places and people do) I really don't see an issue in keeping them on the same site.
 
Le Parc Des Felin's boasts that it is one of very few places that keeps and breeds both African and Asiatic lions.

They don't seem to have a problem? And i'm sure Whipsnade wont temporarily either! (without the breeding ofcourse!)
 
Just thought I would post to say that I saw earlier today on whips are Facebook page that they have had a thompsons gazelle born. At the moment it is being hand reared by keepers due to mum rejecting it
 
Riziki said:
Le Parc Des Felin's boasts that it is one of very few places that keeps and breeds both African and Asiatic lions.

They don't seem to have a problem? And i'm sure Whipsnade wont temporarily either! (without the breeding ofcourse!)
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Parc de felines have only got away with having both Asian and Angolan Lions because the Asian's are none breeding (male is sterile and none of his females are capable of breeding either)

Afaik the rule was only introduced in the 90's to protect the purity of what was then limited Asiatic stock. Perhaps its now outdated but the new-ish studbook keeper doesn't appear to have any plans to scrap it

..great news on the Gazelle baby btw :)
 
Riziki said:
But if normal species to species procedures are followed within Animal Care teams (footdips, hand washing etc like most places and people do) I really don't see an issue in keeping them on the same site.
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And in addition to that, the two lion groups now at Whipsnade aren't even on the same section - Asiatic lions on Asia and African lions on Africa (as opposed to both being on a carnivore/big cat section) - therefore any contact of any kind should be extremely limited as they are located far away from each other and with different staff looking after them!

I know with the rules on not keeping both elephant species there is at least a health reason (herpes), however if as has been suggested the lion reason is purely to eliminate the risk of hybrid subspecies lions then there definitely won't be a problem!
 
Sunbear12 said:
The Thompson's gazelle is called Larry and was hand-reared as mom wasn't giving him any milk. He is now back at the zoo still being cared for by staff.
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Nice article. I wasn't aware Whipsnade was now the only place in the UK that kept Thommies!
 
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AdamD601 said:
And in addition to that, the two lion groups now at Whipsnade aren't even on the same section - Asiatic lions on Asia and African lions on Africa
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I thought the London Lions were being held behind the Kudu/Impala stabling- isn't that opposite the Common Hippos? :confused: If so its not 'in the Asian area' and means the two Lion groups are actually only a few hundred yards from each other.

Not that it matters. ZSL are perfectly capable of maintaining them seperately. I believe the ' no both species holders' ruling was brought in as someone said, when pure Asian Lions reappeared in Europe in the 1990's, to avoid any chance of past interbreeding mistakes being repeated. Whipsnade are only holding them temporarily so there are mitigating circumstances here anyway.
 
Pertinax said:
I thought the London Lions were being held behind the Kudu/Impala stabling- isn't that opposite the Common Hippos? :confused: If so its not 'in the Asian area' and means the two Lion groups are actually only a few hundred yards from each other.

Not that it matters. ZSL are perfectly capable of maintaining them seperately. I believe the ' no both species holders' ruling was brought in as someone said, when pure Asian Lions reappeared in Europe in the 1990's, to avoid any chance of past interbreeding mistakes being repeated. Whipsnade are only holding them temporarily so there are mitigating circumstances here anyway.
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Yes, they are! Asian lions cared for by Asia I guess it should say. This off-show area (leading to PCM's grave) has always come under Asia's remit asfaik. I also think there's keepers quarters around this area (on the other side of the kudu/Impala paddock) which were once, briefly, the home of Berthold Lubetkin. Or am I wrong?
 
I don't know, I am not that well up on the history.;)

My comment about the Lions was just to show they aren't at 'opposite ends of the Park', in fact they are pretty close. Not that it matters I'm quite sure. I would have liked to have seen/heard the existing African pride's reaction the first time they heard other Lions roaring in answer to them( if that happened).
 
Panthera1981 said:
Nice article. I wasn't aware Whipsnade was now the only place in the UK that kept Thommies!
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Up until mere months ago there were *no* collections in the UK holding Thommies! Prior to this year, the last of the species to be held in the UK were at Whipsnade in the early 1990's.

As such I look forward to my next trip to Whipsnade whenever it may be, as I failed to spot the Thomson's Gazelles at Leipzig so have yet to see the species.
 
They have apparently reintroduced the handreared calf back into the group. Presumably it will still need bottle feeding though. The males of handraised Gazelle/deer etc can make a real nuisance of themselves when they are full grown as far as day to day husbandry is concerned. Perhaps this move is an attempt to avoid that.
 
Pertinax said:
I thought the London Lions were being held behind the Kudu/Impala stabling- isn't that opposite the Common Hippos? :confused: If so its not 'in the Asian area' and means the two Lion groups are actually only a few hundred yards from each other.
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Yes sorry maybe that wasn't clear. Within the zoo the two prides are seperate but fairly close within the zoo, however the Asia team will look after the Asiatic lions while the Africa team look after the African lions so staff-wise there shouldn't be any cross contact between subspecies!
 
The batchelor group of ring-tailed lemurs (the walk through group) have now moved to London, and have been replaced by the breeding group that were on the old Squirrel monkey island during the summer.

This now leaves the island vacant.
 
Allowing for finding another suitable tree for the Red Pandas, that whole area really could do with a rethink, IMHO. The otter pool is well past its sell-by date, and I really struggle to think of a species that could use the now vacant primate island well, without trashing the tree, and actually be visible. Thoughts anybody?
 
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