ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2010

Having now seen the improvements to the Lions enclosure - it IS much better in my opinion - the actual views it provides of the Lions is vastly improved. However, the glass panels & murals...did they REALLY cost that much??
 
Some notes from today's visit:

Tapir signs now removed from exhibit entirely

Lighting in the armadillo nocturnal exhibit is now much dimmer than before and I think (but this is completely from memory) some foliage has been cut back. Saw two very active armadillos today.

Interestingly, red pandas now on display in the external exhibit next to the Clore building where lemurs and various callitrichids ( I think) have been on display in the past. A new rope stand off barrier has been put up and there are branches and a nest box as well as a mist sprayer, the first time I've seen that in an outdoor exhibit in the UK. It was quite hot and I couldn't see any animals in the enclosure
 
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^ Do you mean the enclosure attached to the Clore or the outdoor area of the Roundhouse, as it is called? Interesting news however, just to say Monkey World also use mist sprayers in the summer too.
 
Seems a good place to have them, a reasonable sized cage with vegetation. Maybe little noisy being by the meerkats and otters?
 
Correction to my last post, there is tapir signage on the enclosure. Also the zebras have acces to the old okapi stalls in the giraffe house in addition to their usual indoor accommodation and the stalls on the other side of the giraffe holding are also open to the giraffe paddock.
 
Why don't they let the zebras use the old okapi enclosure too? Or are they planning to bring a new species into to that enclosure eventually?
 
That's where the zebras are now.

I should also add that:

The pygmy hippos are now in their summer enclosure.

There are signs up that Abi the lioness is in season and therefore may be aggressive so the rear and side viewing areas are closed off for that exhibit

I saw a red panda in the new exhibit, it didn't have a tail - was this individual in the old enclosure in Animal Adventure?
 
Is Abi being kept seperate from Lucifer, or are the entire pride still together.
Hopefully more lion cubs towards the end of the year?
 
I understand they are together but couldn't see them in the enclosure. The sign read:

Family Issues

Abi, our lioness is in season so she is rather agressive. Lucifer, our adult male is being very protective. We are trying to give them the space they need while they work out these family issues.


Not mad on the wording myself. A number of people were going beyond the temporary barriers anyway which was very annoying so I reported them to the nearest staff member (which was actually a volunteer half way across the zoo).
 
The zebras are given night access to the giraffe paddock in summer, hence the gate between their own and the giraffe paddock. It may be that they are allowed to access the indoor stalls in the left-hand side of the tapir house for this reason. This system does, at least, allow them a little grazing.

Its a shame that the okapis are shut in by 5pm each day though.
 
Perhaps a silly question: Am I right that they wanted to mix the zebras and giraffes, did this not work out? I believe when I went a few years back they had the gate was open between the two enclosures. From johnstoni's post it seems they no longer have this access?
 
JamesB said:
Perhaps a silly question: Am I right that they wanted to mix the zebras and giraffes, did this not work out? I believe when I went a few years back they had the gate was open between the two enclosures. From johnstoni's post it seems they no longer have this access?
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The zebra were initially mixed with the giraffes, I'm not sure why this has not continued. Past attempts to mix nyala, Arabian gazelle, and meerkats with the giraffes have not lasted long. In each case, I'm not aware of the exact reason why these mixings were halted.

Zebras were occasionally mixed with the giraffes at several points during the 1970s and possibly early 80s.
 
johnstoni said:
The zebras are given night access to the giraffe paddock in summer, hence the gate between their own and the giraffe paddock. It may be that they are allowed to access the indoor stalls in the left-hand side of the tapir house for this reason. This system does, at least, allow them a little grazing.

Its a shame that the okapis are shut in by 5pm each day though.
Click to expand...

The zebras have access to the left hand side (as viewed from the outside paddocks) of the giraffe house, not the tapir house. The giraffe (if they can fit, I imagine only one of them can do so comfortably) have access to the right-hand side of the giraffe house as well as the central stalls.

I know it's been mentioned before but I think it's a shame that these grazing animals - the zebras that is - only have access to dusty yards where they are unable to graze.
 
Shirokuma said:
Correction to my last post, there is tapir signage on the enclosure. Also the zebras have acces to the old okapi stalls in the giraffe house in addition to their usual indoor accommodation and the stalls on the other side of the giraffe holding are also open to the giraffe paddock.
Click to expand...

- I took this to mean the stalls on the other side of the enclosure, which would be the old camel ones on the near side of the tapir house, but I see now that you meant the stalls which form part of the giraffe house to the right as you face it.
 
Yes that's right, sorry it's hard to explain but basically all the stalls in the giraffe house are accessible to either zebras or giraffes.
 
Some updates:

There are naked mole rat babies and their enclosure has a stand-off barrier and a notice to give them privacy and some relative quiet.

There are now palm trees around the Guy the gorilla statue and they look quite good.

Full access has been restored to the lions.

The flag poles have been taken down from around the cat enclosures.

A harrier hawk chick was born last week, last year's chick is quite large and is now in the griffon vulture aviary.

The Blackburn Pavillion has a screen showing live footage from a blue bellied roller nest box. Very good idea and interesting to watch.

The Tamandua was curled up in its usual box although the front is missing...
 
The new tiger enclosure is still going to happen but they've put it off till 2012... I think because of getting the funding together; it's such a big project. In the meantime they are going to redevelop and enlarge the current penguin pool, not the Lubetkin one obviously, but the Barclay Court one; it will be much bigger with better viewing facilities and there will be a glass wall to the pool so you can see the penguins swimming about underwater. I gather they will be demolishing the old 1869 "parrot house" to the side of it, which has the schools' lunchroom at one end and the ground hornbills in front. I'm quite surprised because I thought it was listed, but obviously not, it's just old! That's all I know for now, but will post any news I hear.

The other change is that a new exit is to be built behind the main gift shop on Barclay Court, so that visitors go through the shop (that old trick!) on their way out. So that area of the zoo will be pretty chaotic for a while... this is all imminent, I think.
 
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