As I've mentioned on here before, I suspect that most of the ungulate groups at Whipsnade have had very few infusions of new blood over the years, so by now may be very inbred. Look at the poor antler development and 'wall eyes' in the Swamp Deer for example. Coupled with the less than balmy climate up there, I imagine mortality among the calves and fawns of some tropical species is quite high too and so you can see why with little recruitment, some of these groups like Blackbuck and Nilgai dwindled to nothing. They certainly aren't hard to keep. More active management e.g. new blood/better shelter etc could probably have prevented them from dying out.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade Zoo 2014 #1
- Thread starter BongoHardwood
- Start date
As I've mentioned on here before, I suspect that most of the ungulate groups at Whipsnade have had very few infusions of new blood over the years, so by now may be very inbred. Look at the poor antler development and 'wall eyes' in the Swamp Deer for example. Coupled with the less than balmy climate up there, I imagine mortality among the calves and fawns of some tropical species is quite high too and so you can see why with little recruitment, some of these groups like Blackbuck and Nilgai dwindled to nothing. They certainly aren't hard to keep. More active management e.g. new blood/better shelter etc could probably have prevented them from dying out.
When I went a few months ago birdwise I remember seeing Penguins, Ostrich(?) Manchurian Cranes, Flamingoes and possibly Emu. Even the lake by the cafe which used to have a fairly healthy Waterfowl collection, was rather scummy -looking and given over to Seagulls and Mallards- similar to many municipal park lakes nowadays. I think they've simply allowed everything not 'high profile' to reduce and then die off. Long gone are the days when all the ungulate paddocks contained different species of Cranes, Swans and/or Geese. So sad.
I can't remember the last time I saw the Junglefowl there either.BongoHardwood
Well-Known Member
With regards to birds, off the top of my head the bird species on show are:
Around the zoo:
Flamingo
Penguin
Eider duck
Smew
Red-crowned crane
Blue crane (in bird garden but visible through screening)
Darwin's rhea
Emu
Ostrich
Whooper swan
Snowy owl
3 (?) other species of owl in owl wood
Sunbird (in discovery centre)
Poultry on the farm
On lake:
White faced whistling ducks
Bar headed geese
Mandarin ducks
Pelicans
White stork
Couple of other species of waterfowl
In aviary by café:
Chough
Cattle and little (?) egret
Oystercatcher (?)
Masked lapwing (?)
Demoiselle crane
I've probably missed a few. Obviously the best range is in the bird garden. A real shame it is not open to the public.
Around the zoo:
Flamingo
Penguin
Eider duck
Smew
Red-crowned crane
Blue crane (in bird garden but visible through screening)
Darwin's rhea
Emu
Ostrich
Whooper swan
Snowy owl
3 (?) other species of owl in owl wood
Sunbird (in discovery centre)
Poultry on the farm
On lake:
White faced whistling ducks
Bar headed geese
Mandarin ducks
Pelicans
White stork
Couple of other species of waterfowl
In aviary by café:
Chough
Cattle and little (?) egret
Oystercatcher (?)
Masked lapwing (?)
Demoiselle crane
I've probably missed a few. Obviously the best range is in the bird garden. A real shame it is not open to the public.
Personally I don't like the idea that I have not visited many Zoo's, I actually find that a bit rude. I have been over 20 Zoo's, Wildlife Parks, Safari Parks etc, and I do have a good idea of how zoos work. I really don't want to sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet, but my views on the ZSL are not uneducated or based on whimsical, nostalgic memories of growing up and going to Whipsnade, but views from someone who is EXTREMLEY passionate about animals, zoo's and the ZSL.
It is in no way letting others down, and I don't feel its not worth the money. I know many people in the area (family/friends) that really enjoy Whipsnade and what it has to offer. Visitors can see a vast collection of animals that visitors to the zoo have the privilege of being able to see.
I don't mind constructive comments, but the constant going on about the lack of species etc, I feel is detrimental and we should be focusing on the good work that it does (with the ZSL and others Zoo's around the world). There is nothing bad about Whipsnade, its current animals have the best possible housing and care and I honestly would understand everyone's 'beef' if the animals were kept in poor housing but they are not.
I hear what you say about small collections etc and for them that's fine for them and I think its exciting that people can see unusual species in smaller collections but a good zoo is not one that has loads of unusual species but one that has good enclosures, a pleasant atmosphere and one that does fantastic conservation work.
I am not sticking up for the ZSL out of spite/being awkward/ etc, but because I 100% believe that it is in control of many things we do not know. Who knows in 20 years time, maybe Whipsnade may have Polar bears, red duiker, barid's tapir etc, and I am not against new, exciting plans for the site but I don't feel there is much need to get hung up on the fact that people feel there is unused land. Surely there are more important things to be concerned about.
Agree wholeheartedly. These type of questions MUST be asked at the very top. ZSL is in a unique position with Whipsnade-do they stick, and stagnate, or twist, and invest? I know what I'd go for because it's rivals are marching inexorably ahead!
The Bird Garden was shut permanently a few years ago in order to convert the area into a breeding facility and give the birds some privacy from the public.
Zebu have arrived on the Children's Farm.
Does anyone know the sex and name of the Common hippo calf born in December?
The two need not, of course, be mutually exclusive.
Look on the bright side; if a new species called the Barid's Tapir is discovered with Whipsnade being the first to display it, I suspect a lot of people will cease to complain!
The hippo calf is a female and, being born just before Christmas, was named "Holly".
There is a photograph here:-
http://www.zoochat.com/216/young-hippopotamus-whipsnade-19th-april-2014-a-361730/
Thankyou Tim!
On a separate note, does anyone know where the black Fallow deer (behind the hippos) came from and WHY they aren't on show?
No, but I suspect they have been there a long time. Both these and the Menil (brightly spotted) herd in the Asian Plains area seem to breed true for their colours (rarely if ever producing other colours)- which indicates purity of the strains caused by them being untainted by other color variations over many generations.
Why not on show? Location plus the other herd in Asian Plains probably.
One place I don't think they would have come from is Woburn. Because the Woburn Fallow are very varied in colour.
The founder stock of the black fallow deer herd came from Epping Forest.
I wish they were on show too.
Does anyone know where the Blesbok and Impala came from ??
How many Blesbok are there ??
I don't think Whipsnade have ever been known as a "big" bird zoo have they? I've only ever known the Bird Garden and the other species listed above.
As Pertinax has already said, each of the big paddocks had a pair of cranes or swans or a flock of geese, each paddock has its own pool for the hoofstock of course. For example, I have photos from about 1980 of a pair of wattled cranes in the Flint Pit paddock (now the wolverine enclosure) and of a pair of white-naped cranes in Spicer's Field (now the white rhino paddock). Subsequently I think quite a collection of cranes was developed, but many were off-show in a group of smaller enclosures, more or less where the European elk are now kept.
Dotted around the zoo were a few fairly large but sparsely furnished and uncomfortable-looking aviaries for macaws and pheasants; I think there were a couple near the house and paddock that now hold the gaur. Later there were a couple of nice looking aviaries in the old Children's Zoo, did they hold toucans or hornbills? There was also a second flamingo pool with a wooden house, surrounded by a shelter belt which divided it from Spicer's Field, more or less opposite the old lion enclosure: last time I visited, a couple of years ago, it was still there but empty of course.
There were free-ranging guinea fowl too.
Alan
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IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
And Wild Turkeys (hell, I am showing my age). About 1980, you could have found all species of crane at Whipsnade other than Whooping, Siberian and Black-necked. The offshow breeding area to which Alan refers was more or less where the Wolves and Moose are now.
The area where the elephant arena/car park is held several paddocks, holding Common Rhea, Red-breasted Goose, and Common Eider. In this area, too, were several aviaries best politely described as rustic, which were no loss when demolished. They did have some very nice birds, though: in particular I can remember King Parrot and Galah.
Some of those aviaries must have dated back to the 1930s; I can remember Impeyan Monal having a label which described their range as encompassing "Chamba", a princely state that ceased to exist when India gained independence - in 1947!
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That would figure as the Epping Forest Fallow were all-black too.
So do you also know where the Menil (spotted) herd in Asian Plains originated from?
BongoHardwood
Well-Known Member
Emmen springs to mind for the impala...
Indeed! Think it was mentioned previously but I like it very much, except for erasing the American Bison out completely (sorry, couldn't resist!). The bus route's also been made more streamlined with fewer stops.
One of the Marwell threads mentioned that Nyala may be arriving soon-welcome news if true!
Ah yes, many thanks for that.