ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2014
- Thread starter sooty mangabey
- Start date
I would have thought with the development work for the Lion exhibit closing off a fair section of exhibits it would make sense to allow visitor access to the Casson interior again - I did hear from one source that this was expected to happen.
Looks today like moving crates have arrived in the Spider Monkey enclosure so imagine they will be on their way soon.
Looks today like moving crates have arrived in the Spider Monkey enclosure so imagine they will be on their way soon.
Visitor access to the Casson is looooooooonng overdue, and it certainly is one of the zoo's unloved spaces with lots of potential. Trouble is, you've now got a species living there (tapir) that likes its privacy and hates disturbance! Well done London!
Zsl need to consider their choice of animals better. They're a small city zoo that gets very busy - and noisy.
Shy, retiring animals such as malayan tapir and anoa have no place in regents park and would be better housed in whipsnade.
Small cats (inc servals) - mostly nocturnal, shy and solitary. Not a good exhibit for a tourist attraction filled with children.
Birds of prey -limited space for flying displays, need to be kept caged which is a poor image for a zoo trying to ditch the 'animals caged for entertainment' and evolve into 'animal conservation and education'. Leave to private enthusiats or specialist bird collections, or house in large avaries in whipsnade.
Giant tortoise -- beautiful creatures, but really high up on a kids or tourists agenda? Probably not. Exciting, lively animals? Not really. Should have been left to whipsnade where the exhibit space would not have come at the expense of another.
Imho, lions and tigers are all the cats required at london zoo. Keep gorillas, giraffes, hunting dogs, zebra and hippo too, but use the rest of the site for large walk thru avaries, insect/reptile/noctunal and amphibian houses. Use the rest of the space for active smaller animals that wont bore children, such as primates, small carnivores, rodents, the childrens farm (who doesnt love stroking a bunny??) and small animals like coati and prarie dogs. Wont work? Tell that to bristol zoo.
Shy, retiring animals such as malayan tapir and anoa have no place in regents park and would be better housed in whipsnade.
Small cats (inc servals) - mostly nocturnal, shy and solitary. Not a good exhibit for a tourist attraction filled with children.
Birds of prey -limited space for flying displays, need to be kept caged which is a poor image for a zoo trying to ditch the 'animals caged for entertainment' and evolve into 'animal conservation and education'. Leave to private enthusiats or specialist bird collections, or house in large avaries in whipsnade.
Giant tortoise -- beautiful creatures, but really high up on a kids or tourists agenda? Probably not. Exciting, lively animals? Not really. Should have been left to whipsnade where the exhibit space would not have come at the expense of another.
Imho, lions and tigers are all the cats required at london zoo. Keep gorillas, giraffes, hunting dogs, zebra and hippo too, but use the rest of the site for large walk thru avaries, insect/reptile/noctunal and amphibian houses. Use the rest of the space for active smaller animals that wont bore children, such as primates, small carnivores, rodents, the childrens farm (who doesnt love stroking a bunny??) and small animals like coati and prarie dogs. Wont work? Tell that to bristol zoo.
Servals are anything but shy and nocturnal 
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Well, nobody seems to have told the Servals that live at Chester and Howletts, and that used to live at London and Whipsnade. Ditto those I've seen at Marwell over twenty odd years.
Along with Fishing Cat, this is one of the most accommodating small cat species in terms of showing itself.
Along with Fishing Cat, this is one of the most accommodating small cat species in terms of showing itself.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
As has been pointed out before, the Malay Tapirs live on the elephant side of the Casson Pavilion, which has an off-show hospital den. It would be perfect in terms of allowing the tapirs extra privacy.
When I queried the reason for the house's closure a couple of months ago, the volunteer nearby said that it was for "health and safety reasons".
As has been pointed out before, the Malay Tapirs live on the elephant side of the Casson Pavilion, which has an off-show hospital den. It would be perfect in terms of allowing the tapirs extra privacy.
When I queried the reason for the house's closure a couple of months ago, the volunteer nearby said that it was for "health and safety reasons".
Lets face it, the Tapirs are never going to be a very good exhibit as they are so shy and retiring a lot of the time. Last time I was there they were shut outside standing by the door waiting to get back inside- once allowed in, that was it for the day I assume( at any rate I certainly didn't see them again later in the day) With the indoor building closed I wonder how many visitors see them?
'The 'Closed Today' notices I saw on the doors are presumably another ruse to make people accept why they can't enter such a huge building which is now seemingly, in its present state, defunct. It reminds me rather of those 'these animals will be in the outside paddock tomorrow' notices you sometimes see in shared exhibits and which you won't know if true or not unless you go on consecutive days!(some are true, some aren't...
)Servals- agree- nearly always show themselves well. Beautiful too. Good exhibit.
Pretty much agree with all of this - bar the servals and probably giant tortoises, but then it comes down to how they are displayed. Not sure that London has the space to properly keep all of the large species mentioned, but a mixture of them with the smaller species is the way forward.
Replicates nicely what I was saying in the other 'another' London Zoo thread.
it was in one of their regular Members emails, near the bottom of the page.
What with it being Hallowe'en, I decided to watch "An American Werewolf in London." I'd never seen the film but I knew the zoo featured in it. I'm intrigued to know where the wolf dens were located (the part of the film where David wakes up after his metamorphosis).
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
For whatever reason, it was shot in the Lion Terraces, rather than Wolf Wood. I think that the enclosure closest to BUGS was used, which then (1981) held a pair of Caracal and has until recently held the Sulawesi Crested Macaques.
I'm thinking even with extra privacy facilities they just aren't a good exhibit for London Zoo. They really need replacing with some large species that is happy to show itself, not a species that is invisible most of the time. Even the Camels filled the space better...
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking even with extra privacy facilities they just aren't a good exhibit for London Zoo. They really need replacing with some large species that is happy to show itself, not a species that is invisible most of the time. Even the Camels filled the space better...
With respect, I really feel that the present marketing led urge to fill up London with crowd pleasing megafauna, "cute" smaller animals and domestic species has to be resisted.
The Zoo's educational remit also extends to getting the young of all ages to appreciate the shy and the secretive. Sometimes there is a need to slow down, to be quiet, to be patient and come back again later; these are important life lessons for a whole host of activities, not just watching wildlife!
I do also find myself wondering just why there particular tapirs are so retiring. Granted, Brazilian Tapir are generally a bit more laid back, but I've never known any Malay Tapir quite as reclusive as those at London.
Finally, if ZSL is going to make a commitment to tropical forest ungulates, then it needs to be made at London, not Whipsnade, with its bracing
wind and lack of tree cover.
I have to agree, I think getting rid of the tapirs would be a terrible move!With respect, I really feel that the present marketing led urge to fill up London with crowd pleasing megafauna, "cute" smaller animals and domestic species has to be resisted.
The Zoo's educational remit also extends to getting the young of all ages to appreciate the shy and the secretive. Sometimes there is a need to slow down, to be quiet, to be patient and come back again later; these are important life lessons for a whole host of activities, not just watching wildlife!
I do also find myself wondering just why there particular tapirs are so retiring. Granted, Brazilian Tapir are generally a bit more laid back, but I've never known any Malay Tapir quite as reclusive as those at London.
Finally, if ZSL is going to make a commitment to tropical forest ungulates, then it needs to be made at London, not Whipsnade, with its bracing
Along with the okapi & perhaps now vicuna, they are one of very few relatively rarely seen ungulates that London have. In fact, one of only a handful of uncommon mammal species still at the zoo!
Yes, maybe 'getting rid' of them are the wrong words to use. My point is they are in a prominent part of the Zoo now and the enclosure was refurbished(very nicely) for them too- yet, because of their shy nature and the indoor area being closed, how many people actually see them? I think the 'educational aspect' argument about not everything being visible all the time is fine too- except how often can they be seen at all? I think perhaps they are a bad choice as a major exhibit, that having them in this enclosure is the bad part, rather than actually keeping them at the Zoo. Like most people on here, I do support more species at ZSL, not less.
Regarding Malayan Tapirs generally, they do always seem shy, not just the ones at ZSL- those at Port Lympne are too and I have usually only seen the odd one or two out of the several they have. The one(s) at Twycross was equally difficult to see- it could seemingly vanish into nowhere.
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The ones at Marwell are the last ones I saw, about 13 yrs ago now,they were very visible inside and out, also I once stroked the muzzle of one at Artis zoo Amsterdam.
Regarding the cats at ZSL I recently bought a 2nd hand book, Cats of The World by Amand Denis printed in 1964, the cover shows 2 photos, the lower one is a lioness with a leopard, they produced there are 4 further photos of the parents and the offspring a male from the first family and 3 cubs from a second family. But there isn't any info on how the breeding came about, does any one have any idea?
ZSL London Zoo 2014....
When I saw Chester's Malay Tapirs earlier thus year, although inside, they seemed quite laid back and tolerant of visitors.
The Leopard and Lioness were together from an early age, I'm sure it says so in the book. It was definitely a deliberate attempt to produce hybrids.
When I saw Chester's Malay Tapirs earlier thus year, although inside, they seemed quite laid back and tolerant of visitors.
The Leopard and Lioness were together from an early age, I'm sure it says so in the book. It was definitely a deliberate attempt to produce hybrids.