ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade zoo 2016

Visited today, just a couple of observations re: changes since my last visit 4 weeks ago:

Common Hippos - Lola & Hoover were back together in the indoor pool. No sign of young Holly, though signs still up for her & Lola on lower outside pool. The yard to that pool was full of hay bales and Nigna was alone in the upper pool. Has Holly been moved on? She was born Dec 2013, so roughly the age the previous calf left.

Elephants

All 5 youngsters( including George) were in the main Paddock along with 3 females. The other 2 females, possibly Kaylee & Lucha were separated in the adjoining paddock. Sam was playing with Donna, when he wasn't chasing half a dozen Mara including a very small one! Much of the time I watched George & Scott stayed some distance from the others.
The new addition to the herd Elizabeth is possibly the youngest elephant I've seen, but most of the time she was at the far side of the Paddock staying close to mother Karishma & another female.

5 Northern Hawk owls have hatched, saw several of them.

Also saw a ground hornbill in the bird garden for the first time in a while, it was perched on a branch in the near corner of the enclosure, probably about the only spot it can be seen now all the fencing & overgrown bushes obscure most of the enclosure.
 
pipaluk said:
Visited today, just a couple of observations re: changes since my last visit 4 weeks ago:

Common Hippos - Lola & Hoover were back together in the indoor pool. No sign of young Holly, though signs still up for her & Lola on lower outside pool. The yard to that pool was full of hay bales and Nigna was alone in the upper pool. Has Holly been moved on? She was born Dec 2013, so roughly the age the previous calf left.
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Interesting.

On all my visits this year the male 'Hoover' has been housed with the old female 'Nigna' (sometimes indoors and sometimes in the upper outdoor pool) while 'Lola' has been with her daughter 'Holly' in the lower outdoor pool.

'Holly' was still there last week so any move must be very recent.
 
Max Blundell said:
Also the Dinosaurs (AKA Zoorassic Park) Will be At Whipsnade from 23 July until 4 August.
The Dinosaurs Include:

Brachiosaurus
Coelophysis
Dilophosaurus
Edmontonia
Quetzalcoatlus
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus Rex (T- Rex)
Stegosauras
Click to expand...

Have to say I'm pretty disappointed by the models I've seen-it's like the last 20+ years of Dino research never happened!:(

But...kids love dinosaurs, so it'll bring in the punters. Plus I look forward to overhearing adults trying to pronounce "Coelophysis!" Good job the zoo didn't put in an order for an Opisthocoelicaudia!;)

Anyone know the company that owns these animatronics?
 
Have all the Thomson's gazelle now died, i see no listing for them on Zootiereliste?
 
kiang said:
Have all the Thomson's gazelle now died, i see no listing for them on Zootiereliste?
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It was mentioned earlier in this thread that they were down to just a single female at the start of the year. The signs had been removed when I visited 1st April. They no longer have any.
 
pipaluk said:
It was mentioned earlier in this thread that they were down to just a single female at the start of the year. The signs had been removed when I visited 1st April. They no longer have any.
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Interesting as they kept the species successfully as a breeding group(herd) for many years previously. Evidently this recent small group never got established- I can't see them trying again with them.
 
Pertinax said:
Interesting as they kept the species successfully as a breeding group(herd) for many years previously. Evidently this recent small group never got established- I can't see them trying again with them.
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I believe the main factor was the paddock that the group were going to be housed in. It needed significant work on it in order to, ultimately, hold both the Thommies and the bongo. That the zoo got rid of most of their established Maintainence staff didn't help either-the group were kept in their quarantine area far longer than they should have been.

I, for one, am very disappointed!:mad:
 
went on Saturday mid morning couldn't see any brown bears but may have been hiding ,saw 3 gaur and 3 onager

couple of questions for people in the know

1 will whipsnade replace the lions or bring in a new male ?
2 when the onagers go what will replace them in their current paddock ? - hopefully the gaur could go in their .
 
anidude said:
1 will whipsnade replace the lions or bring in a new male ?
2 when the onagers go what will replace them in their current paddock ? - hopefully the gaur could go in their .
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1. What has happened to the Lions so they need changes?

2. This is news about the Onagers 'going'. When and where to?
 
anidude said:
went on Saturday mid morning couldn't see any brown bears but may have been hiding ,saw 3 gaur and 3 onager

couple of questions for people in the know

1 will whipsnade replace the lions or bring in a new male ?
2 when the onagers go what will replace them in their current paddock ? - hopefully the gaur could go in their .
Click to expand...

The brown bears were both there a week ago, but lying amongst the long grass and weeds under the trees so not easily visible.

They would struggle to bring a new male into the existing group since there are 2 or 3 male offspring in the current group. I assume the female offspring are either on contraception or sterilised, so they may not be able to breed anyway.This is an aging group now as the offspring must be at least 8-10. Finding homes for this group wouldn't be easy

Are the Onager leaving then? Sorry I don't remember reading that.
 
pipaluk said:
The brown bears were both there a week ago, but lying amongst the long grass and weeds under the trees so not easily visible.

They would struggle to bring a new male into the existing group since there are 2 or 3 male offspring in the current group. I assume the female offspring are either on contraception or sterilised, so they may not be able to breed anyway.
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The male offspring must be castrated as there is only one male with a mane. This is a display-group only, I can't see them needing to make any changes unless they wanted to start afresh with a distinct subspecies.
 
According to a volunteer that I met on Friday, there are still 2 brown bears at the zoo although I only saw 1 of the bears. Spotted 2 of the recently born dwarf crocodiles, Elizabeth the new baby elephant looks well and Sam, who is 2 in September enjoyed his time on the Downs
 
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Pertinax said:
1. What has happened to the Lions so they need changes?

2. This is news about the Onagers 'going'. When and where to?
Click to expand...

1. Nothing has happened to the lions. The group will probably be left to "die out" before they start afresh.

2. The onager aren't going anywhere AFAIK!
 
I think people got confused about my onager post what I meant was when the onagers die out or moved elsewhere depending on what the zoo decide what would or people like to see replace them
 
anidude said:
I think people got confused about my onager post what I meant was when the onagers die out or moved elsewhere depending on what the zoo decide what would or people like to see replace them
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I would suggest the Paddock is much too big for the current group of onager, so if they stay I would build a snow leopard enclosure on part of it.

If I could do anything though, I'd dig a big pool in the middle of it and put some white carnivores in it! It must be as big as the Yorkshire Wildlife Park enclosure. I'd do that & find plenty of space for the Onagers & snow Leopards elsewhere!
 
pipaluk said:
Visited today, just a couple of observations re: changes since my last visit 4 weeks ago:

Common Hippos - Lola & Hoover were back together in the indoor pool. No sign of young Holly, though signs still up for her & Lola on lower outside pool. The yard to that pool was full of hay bales and Nigna was alone in the upper pool. Has Holly been moved on? She was born Dec 2013, so roughly the age the previous calf left.
Click to expand...

Tim May said:
On all my visits this year the male 'Hoover' has been housed with the old female 'Nigna' (sometimes indoors and sometimes in the upper outdoor pool) while 'Lola' has been with her daughter 'Holly' in the lower outdoor pool.

'Holly' was still there last week so any move must be very recent.
Click to expand...

I visited again today. ‘Holly’ has, indeed, recently been sent to another collection and all the signs for her have been taken down.

I was told she had been sent to "a zoo in the Czech Republic” .
 
How is the New Elephant Centre Coming along? Will it be Open By the End of this Year?

And Has Any new Exhibits Been Announced yet?
 
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