ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2013
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Tiger Territory
Critically-endangered tiger pair meets for first time at ZSL London Zoo
Love is in the air at ZSL London Zoo as one of Europe’s most important pair of Sumatran tigers has met face-to-face for the first time.
Jae Jae and Melati, who were matched by the global breeding programme, were introduced to each other in their new home at Tiger Territory.
Keepers ?chuffed? with tigers? first date - News - ZSL London Zoo - ZSL
Critically-endangered tiger pair meets for first time at ZSL London Zoo
Love is in the air at ZSL London Zoo as one of Europe’s most important pair of Sumatran tigers has met face-to-face for the first time.
Jae Jae and Melati, who were matched by the global breeding programme, were introduced to each other in their new home at Tiger Territory.
Keepers ?chuffed? with tigers? first date - News - ZSL London Zoo - ZSL
I was at the zoo for a while this afternoon and I noted some interesting developments.
A large part of the Mappin Terraces outback enclosure has been turfed over suggesting they are scrapping the desert theme. It's very new so hard to say what it will be like ultimately.
The Casson Pavillion is closed. According to the sign due to a newly arrived tapir settling in. Whether it's the male from the Cotton Terraces or from another collection I don't know. Any ideas?
There is new interpretive signage on the birds of prey aviaries.
Work was underway in the old tiger enclosure. Keepers were at work placing dirt in wooden shelters where previously straw was so it looks like the pygmy hippos will be moving in.
Apart from the fact that it is totally meshed in, it looks like it will make a good exhibit. I wonder if they could be mixed with birds or a primate species to take full advantage of the space.
My only reservation is that I think the former lion terraces will feel even more like a mish mash of exhibits with no unifying factors other than the increasingly dated looking architecture.
I spotted a pair of free-ranging Egyptian geese I haven't seen before. My guess is that they wandered in from the park.
There is a splendid polar bear statue opposite the temporary cafe by the animal show area. It's life size, enormous and impressive.
There has been lots of coppicing and landscape tidying up around the canal. The old beaver enclosure is more visible - and conspicuously empty - than ever and I really felt that these areas just feel a bit empty and neglected.
It was the first spring-like weekend and the zoo was quite busy. I'm looking forward to seeing Tiger Territory once it's completely finished - most of it is now visible and it will be interesting to see how it integrates with the rest of the zoo.
A large part of the Mappin Terraces outback enclosure has been turfed over suggesting they are scrapping the desert theme. It's very new so hard to say what it will be like ultimately.
The Casson Pavillion is closed. According to the sign due to a newly arrived tapir settling in. Whether it's the male from the Cotton Terraces or from another collection I don't know. Any ideas?
There is new interpretive signage on the birds of prey aviaries.
Work was underway in the old tiger enclosure. Keepers were at work placing dirt in wooden shelters where previously straw was so it looks like the pygmy hippos will be moving in.
Apart from the fact that it is totally meshed in, it looks like it will make a good exhibit. I wonder if they could be mixed with birds or a primate species to take full advantage of the space.
My only reservation is that I think the former lion terraces will feel even more like a mish mash of exhibits with no unifying factors other than the increasingly dated looking architecture.
I spotted a pair of free-ranging Egyptian geese I haven't seen before. My guess is that they wandered in from the park.
There is a splendid polar bear statue opposite the temporary cafe by the animal show area. It's life size, enormous and impressive.
There has been lots of coppicing and landscape tidying up around the canal. The old beaver enclosure is more visible - and conspicuously empty - than ever and I really felt that these areas just feel a bit empty and neglected.
It was the first spring-like weekend and the zoo was quite busy. I'm looking forward to seeing Tiger Territory once it's completely finished - most of it is now visible and it will be interesting to see how it integrates with the rest of the zoo.
Yes it is the existing male who has moved into the new enclosure, once Tiger Territory opens he can be viewed both outside and from inside the Casson. He moved just this week, leaving the female on her own for now.
Yes thats right, the Pygmy Hippos will be calling the old tiger enclosure there home for a while as a stop gap. But it is only temporary, they will be moving to Into Africa once the female tapir moves to be with the male (after giving birth and baby is OK to move), that is the reason for moving them separately.
As for the future of the old tiger enclosure after the Pygmy Hippos move is unclear right now.
That would be Boris the Bear.
volvox
Well-Known Member
Thanks for identifying the geese, I saw them last week near the pelican and flamingo lake and wondered what they were. They're very good looking, I've never seen one before. I think they must be feral, they're not listed in the inventory.
By the way, someone a while back was wondering what happened to the hummingbirds: there are some beautiful ones in the Blackburn at the moment, Amazilia amazilia: emerald hummingbird/s (actually I could only see one but they're very tiny).
By the way, someone a while back was wondering what happened to the hummingbirds: there are some beautiful ones in the Blackburn at the moment, Amazilia amazilia: emerald hummingbird/s (actually I could only see one but they're very tiny).
Last time I walked through Regents Park to the Zoo I noticed large numbers of them- 50+ or more.
wenxue
Active Member
Lots more of them in St James's Park too when I went the other day. There were about 8 chicks in one brood I remember there from last year and given that food is plentiful they have probably stuck around. Noisy souls they are. I've seen them making honking noises at passing traffic.
Haven't been down the zoo in a few months. As soon as the sun shines I'll be back. I'm booked in for the members preview of the tiger enclosure on the 21st.
So still no male gorilla then?
Haven't been down the zoo in a few months. As soon as the sun shines I'll be back. I'm booked in for the members preview of the tiger enclosure on the 21st.
So still no male gorilla then?
Currently - 1.4
Abi - born January 1999 at ZSL
Lucifer - born November 2002 at Cotswold's
Rubi - born June 2009 at ZSL (Abi X Lucifer)
Heidi - born August 2011 at ZSL (Abi X Lucifer)
Indi - born August 2011 at ZSL (Abi X Lucifer)
Hope this helps
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
I wish they'd drain the moat of the Lion enclosure, which would double the available space for the animals, and allow the animals oudoor access in hard weather.
Failing that, rather flattening the Lion Terraces as seems to be planned, why not put the Lions on the Mappins and keep a range of smaller/medium sized carnivores on the Lion Terraces? Giant Otters might look rather nice in the Lion enclosure with some changes.
Failing that, rather flattening the Lion Terraces as seems to be planned, why not put the Lions on the Mappins and keep a range of smaller/medium sized carnivores on the Lion Terraces? Giant Otters might look rather nice in the Lion enclosure with some changes.
I have suggested that on here in the past.
I would like to see it not only drained but filled in to bring the level up to ground level again, then put in large perimeter glass viewing windows. Add sand or mulch, some big boulders and a few Acacia-type trees and you have a perfectly usable and naturalistic area(similar to Bristol's but bigger) for the Asian Lions where they are now.
volvox
Well-Known Member
The new Tiger Territory is brilliant! Hard to imagine how they carved such a large and varied area out of a city zoo. The walkways and platforms give excellent views; you can look down on the animals as they rove their territory – Melati in particular because she's so petite looks like a domestic cat in her back garden. Both animals look relaxed and playful. The indoor area is furnished with heated rocks for them to sit on and the lighting means they are really easy to see and feel very close to you. Anyway, won't spoil the surprise any more! It'll be open to the public soon, 22nd March, go and see for yourselves.