It was De Brazzas and Bristol appear to have stopped this mixing too. They have only a single(non-breeding )pair now.
ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2012
- Thread starter volvox
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It was De Brazzas and Bristol appear to have stopped this mixing too. They have only a single(non-breeding )pair now.
According to Zootierliste, there are only 3 European zoos that have Bornean bearded pigs (London, Berlin Zoo and Munich). The males at London are castrated. It does seem strange that some males of endangered species are castrated, while some males of relatively common species are encouraged to keep breeding, even though many zoos hold the species.
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Genetic analysis of the bornean bearded pigs has shown they are hybridised, hence the lack of breeding activity. If you look at the annual census for ZSL, they're listen there as hybrid crosses - like their own gibbons, actually.
Im going to london zoo on saturday (on a discount ticket, off course - im not paying £22!!), if anyone wants me to check out anything let me know.
I'll take some photos of the diana/mangabey/colobus enclosures and post here.
Im going to london zoo on saturday (on a discount ticket, off course - im not paying £22!!), if anyone wants me to check out anything let me know.
I'll take some photos of the diana/mangabey/colobus enclosures and post here.
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The current admission price into the zoo for an adult in peak season is £23.00, I think you will find that this compares favourably with other main London attractions and other U.K. zoos considering it is in the capital. As well as paying to hopefully have an enjoyable day at the zoo you are also contributing to the good conservation work that this zoo does for a wide variety of species, surely, anyone who is interested in zoos and wild animals cannot complain about that, you say that you are entering on a discount ticket, very good, then why comment on the full price when you will not be paying it?
I whole-heartedly agree. I'd much rather pay this much to go to London Zoo than look at wax models or see London from a glass bubble (both of which cost considerably more). Location is definitely a factor and the price wasn't extravagant in comparison to the rest of London
wenxue
Active Member
It is still a lot to find for one day out. If I hadn't bought membership I wouldn't be able to go as much. It's as much as I would spend for a weeks worth of lunches or in a month on books. London is an expensive place to live and for a lot of us there isn't a lot to go round if you are on an ordinary wage. If you are taking a family it can add up to a small fortune - a lot of people at work would love to take their kids (and the kids would love to go) but they are really put off by the cost.
Just looked now - they are just listed as Sus barbatus, no mention of hybridisation.
So The Colobus' are using two enclosures, the ones round the corner, opposite the indoor viewing windows? Okay, thanks, I thought I saw a different species when I visited last month.
Yes, those two cages were both signed for colobus, although i didn't see any in the smaller one while i was there.
The organistation often laments that it does not have the same visitor through put it did 20 years ago, despite significant investment. Yes there is more competition in the animal day out arena now, but ZSL spend large amounts on marketing.
Its not compulsory to inflate prices just for being in London. If you are a family with 2 or 3 children, once you've paid travel and food, you're looking at around £100. Regardless of how essential conservation is, this is far too much for most families to afford for 1 day out. There was an article in the press recently that shows families are or on the whole going for less days out than they use to this year due to costs. Lots of families still go to london zoo each year obviously, but do a quick internet search and you'll see how many discount trickets there are and significant numbers of people will likely be going in on these.
Attractions can either charge large entry fees and have reduced footfall, or charge less and draw in bigger crowds. ZSL needs the money, retail spend and people to educate in conservation. It surely needs the biggest footfall possible to do all this, which will not happen at those admission prices which families often cannot afford.
sooty mangabey
Well-Known Member
This is an interesting discussion. Of course, if discount vouchers are out there, then there is no harm in using them - that is what they are for! I have come across zoo nerds in the past who have delighted in being able to sneak into zoos without paying, which is something by which I was rather baffled, but that is a totally different kettle of fish.
I'm not sure that zoo attendance is particularly price elastic - in other words, the relationship between the cost, and the numbers coming through the gate, is not as marked as it might be. Why? Because in some ways it is all of the extraneous costs - the transport, the food, the other stuff - that add to the basic admission charge, and make things affordable (or not). I'd have little sympathy for those who claim that they can't afford a visit to the zoo, but expect to be able to sit down and have a full meal with their families. Picnics or even going without food for a few hours are both possible! The actual admission price is not always the biggest part of the cost.
My own feeling is that the charge of just over £20 for an adult at London Zoo is pretty reasonable - there certainly isn't much else that could occupy someone for a whole day at that price, if compared to other paid-for attractions. The big problem for London, of course, is that there are a number of outstandingly good places to visit which do not cost a penny.
I sympathise with Wenxue's comment that it would be difficult to afford multiple visits if one did not have a membership, but the whole point is that if you are making multiple visits you do take out a membership. A fellowship - currently £120 - seems particularly good value, as this enables one to take a guest into the zoo, or Whipsnade, as well. When I had a Portsmouth FC season ticket - until a year or two ago - it cost six times this amount. At ZSL, my money finances some fairly decent project; at Portsmouth FC it went towards the wallet of a Russian arms-dealer club-owner and a group of over-paid mercenaries on the pitch. I know where I'd rather spend my cash!
Finally, even though historically ZSL have seen much larger attendances, I'm not sure that the zoo could comfortably soak up that many more visitors. Even on the current million or so a year, the zoo can seem pretty full at times. Thus, if the admission charge is, to some extent, a means by which crowds are kept at a manageable level, then so be it.
Peak season adult price £23.00, peak season child price £17.00, both these prices include a voluntary donation, a family of four get a 10% discount, total admission cost £72.00. If you include transport to and from the zoo, food, drink, gifts etc. bought on the premises then yes it does easily come to over £100 for the day, this is a large amount for a family on a limited income, yes, of coarse it is, I have lived in the North East all my life and it is not exactly the stockbroker belt I can assure you, I do believe it is comparable to the prices charged at other London attractions and compares well to the admission charged at other leading zoos in the U.K. It may be a large amount of money and I have genuine sympathy for those who would like to visit London Zoo but are prohibited due to the cost, Solly Zuckermann once stated during his time at London Zoo that he did not agree that in London you can see the animals dead and stuffed in a museum free of charge, however to see them live you have to pay, a valid point. The prices charged at London are not low, neither are they overpriced in my opinion, as well as the conservation work, if people expect to see new investment in exhibits and thus improve the living conditions of the animals then the money has to come from somewhere, and that is from the pay box, as Maggie Thatcher stopped the government money to this zoo over twenty years ago, not surprising when you consider she stopped the kid's free milk at school when she was Education Minister for Ted Heath!
wenxue
Active Member
I think one of the problems London faces is that it has a huge potential visitor population on it's doorstep and very little room for them or the animals. It's usually so busy I can hardly see anything (I'm under five foot tall and can only go at weekends - I go early though) If you can get more people in you don't need to charge people as much and more people would come - thus fulfilling the educational role. What it should think about doing maybe is finding ways of making it easier for people to get from London Zoo to Whipsnade Zoo. As someone who doesn't have a car it's pretty much impossible for me to get to Whipsnade. They did one members coach trip earlier in the year I would have loved to have gone on but it was while I was away and they have not repeated it.
A good point, getting from London to Whipsnade by public transport has never been easy. I don't have my car with me when in London. I found a way to get to Whipsnade by bus, however, a Greenline from Victoria at about 8.30 a.m. to Hemel Hempstead, then another bus from Hemel to Whipsnade, which dropped you off at the door on its way to Luton. It is five years ago now since I last used this service, however, so anybody thinking about using it today I would advise to check that it still operates.
BongoHardwood
Well-Known Member
There are various points at which you can get the bus to Whipsnade. The X31 bus can take passengers from Luton, Hemel Hemstead and Dunstable. I would say that a good route would be London (Farringdon or St Pancras) to Luton by train, then a short walk (less than 10 mins) to the X31 bus stop to take you to Whipsnade, which does stop at the zoo gate as you said
More details on the link below. Apparently you can also get discount zoo tickets via the bus service.
X31
I know train may be quite a bit more expensive, but should be a relatively uncomplicated and quick route for anyone considering the trip.
There are various points at which you can get the bus to Whipsnade. The X31 bus can take passengers from Luton, Hemel Hemstead and Dunstable. I would say that a good route would be London (Farringdon or St Pancras) to Luton by train, then a short walk (less than 10 mins) to the X31 bus stop to take you to Whipsnade, which does stop at the zoo gate as you said
More details on the link below. Apparently you can also get discount zoo tickets via the bus service.
X31
I know train may be quite a bit more expensive, but should be a relatively uncomplicated and quick route for anyone considering the trip.
I travel to Whipsnade a number of times each year via this bus route and it is normally a very reliable service. I usually go by train from London Euston to Hemel Hempstead then catch the bus X31 from outside Hemel Hempstead railway station (although occasionally I go by train from London Bridge to Luton instead and then catch the bus from Luton).
Going from Hemel Hempstead has the advantage that the bus stop is right outside the railway station and it is, I think, a more pleasant bus ride through some attractive countryside.
Please note that, unfortunately, this bus does not run on Sunday.
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Thanks for the advice. Next time I am in London will try and do so!
Perhaps a good time to catch up too ..
Indeed; it would be good to meet up again. Let me know next time you’re in London and I’ll happily join you for a trip to Whipsnade.