Of course there was no Passage to Asia either, just fields/pasture. I seem to remember this was just a dead end as far as access for visitors was concerned.
I remember a simple grass enclosure set in front of the field hedge, surrounding by a netting fence with overhang, perhaps divided into two or three sections. I wonder if anyone has photos of this and whether the Hyaena 'cages' mentioned were in fact a different development?
I only remember it with Hunting Dogs which had access to all the sections- there were about five of them. I don't think there were any others in the UK at the time except maybe a single exhibit at ZSL.
I remember it well and I particularly remember
not taking a photograph there. But I have had to confirm my memories of that area of Whipsnade by digging out my old guidebooks and I found an old map from 1970 in our files, added nearly 5 years ago by mukisi (I don't think he has been here for a while, but anyone using that name can never do wrong, in my opinion
).
https://www.zoochat.com/community/attachments/hpqscan0001-jpg.4215/
https://www.zoochat.com/community/attachments/hpqscan0001-jpg.4215/
The road labelled Valley Close is now the entrance road to Passage through Asia, which incorporates the old Cut Throat Paddock, which held swamp deer when I first visited in 1972. On the right was Dagnall Paddock which held mouflon: it has now been divided and the cheetahs use the area nearer the hippos. At the end of Valley Close, on the right was a small double paddock for mountain zebras and the hunting dog enclosure was on the left, shown as a small pale green rectangle on the map. Behind the dogs was a paddock named Valley Meadow and to its left another called called Little Barn Field, which are not named on this old map, but both were incorporated into the Asian Plains. In 1972, they held Père David's deer and onagers respectively.
I agree with Pertinax's description of the hunting dog exhibit. It was basically rough grassland with a wire fence around it, probably with a couple of scrubby hawthorn bushes too. The dens were underground rather like an old air-raid shelter, and I think there were steps down to them from the keeper's entrance at the back of the exhibit. The whole area is one of the highest parts of the zoo, and although it is on the southern side, it was poorly screened from the Whipsnade winds.
In March 2008 I wrote about my memory in the thread
Memories of London Zoo (and whipsnade).
I have a vivid memory of the hunting dogs, because I went to Whipsnade one bitterly cold winter day (I'd have sort through my photos to find the date, perhaps Jan '73) and I watched with the keeper as the female dog emerged from her burrow with the body of a very young cub, which had presumably died during the night. She then did what she would have done in the wild - she ate it, swallowing the little body completely to leave no trace or clue for predators. It was a very sad sight, but I had the strong feeling she was doing her duty and in a strange way, I was impressed by her instincts.
I was wrong about the date. It was 1st December 1973, and it was a beautifully sunny day - but it was frosty and very cold indeed. I remember that the Przewalski horses looked magnificent in their shaggy winter coats. I was pleased to see the mother dog coming out of the den as I arrived at the same time as the keeper cycled up, so I was ready to take a picture when she came out again with the tiny pup. But of course it immediately became clear that the pup was dead and I couldn't bring myself to take a photo as she slowly swallowed it. In some ways I regret not taking that photo, but even if I had, I don't think I would post it here.
I think that the pup probably died of cold in the night, with its litter mates if there were any; the IZYB only records of hunting dogs breeding at Marwell in the UK in 1973. I don't think there would have been any heating in the den on that bitterly cold night and I trust that better provision will be made for the new pack of dogs at Whipsnade. At least they are in a more sheltered area of the park.
