ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2014
- Thread starter sooty mangabey
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Yes, they never actually appear shy or nervous, and of course at places like Marwell (and Chester?) they could be seen most of the time if indoor viewing is also available. Port Lympne's enclosures are large and well vegetated and so the animals can easily become invisible if they are not close to the barriers.
What they do seem to have is a desire to retire 'under cover' for long periods- presumably being forest animals they don't like bright light and open spaces. So a zoo like London which currently exhibits them with no indoor viewing is bound to have an empty exhibit for the public a fair amount of the time.
FFB I read the book last night and realized that although London zoo had exhibited a leopard lion cross at the turn of the last Century, it was an American import, The ones used in the Denis book were from Hanshin zoo in Japan in 1959 & 1961 where they were used by Dr. Hirojuki Doi to study animal behaviour.
This is my main gripe with a lot of zoos, the label will state that such and such lives in the rainforests of where ever, and there it is standing in a field, I'm thinking tapirs and okapi here A few uprights and military style camouflage netting would make all the difference, as I have said else where.In time vines can grow over the netting and shade the enclosure or at least part of it. The public get the forest idea and the animal the shade it requires.
Simples.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
The thought occurs, not for the first time, that the tapirs might have preferred living on the Northern (ex rhino) side of the house, which avoids direct sunlight.
The animal that London Zoo exhibited was actually a triple hybrid:-
a male lion X a female (leopard X jaguar) hybrid.
This animal was born in America (Chicago I think) and arrived at London Zoo in 1908.
Possibly.
They have those weak little 'piggy' eyes which obviously aren't designed for high light levels. Like the Sumatran rhino which suffers in bright light to the extent that several captive individuals have to all intents and purposes become blind from lack of shade. Cinci nowadays use covered awnings in the outdoor exhibits for them(it
). Perhaps Malayan Tapirs would benefit from the same but it is a clumsy way of having to exhibit them.To respond to Dean's comment above, I don't think enough consideration is often given in Zoos for the way of life of these Forest- dwellers e.g. Okapi, Gorilla, forest Monkeys, Bongo, Malayan Tapir etc and trying to replicate it for them at least to some extent. In most places they are still treated exhibit-wise the same as other species which don't have the same degree of need for seclusion or cover.
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Chester's Okapi enclosure is the most natural of the four UK Zoos keeping the species, though I have not seen what they have done for them at Wild Place.
How did you know that
I see and it's welcome back to Whipsnade for the 2 cheetah that went to London
Did I miss anything? Only a male left at ZSL?
What happened there?
I believe there had been a calf not too long ago too?
Me too.
The calf afaik was sent to Marwell, but not the adult female 'Elila'- who came from there originally. Has she died?
Possibly.
To respond to Dean's comment above, I don't think enough consideration is often given in Zoos for the way of life of these Forest- dwellers e.g. Okapi, Gorilla, forest Monkeys, Bongo, Malayan Tapir etc and trying to replicate it for them at least to some extent. In most places they are still treated exhibit-wise the same as other species which don't have the same degree of need for seclusion or cover.
In regard to the 'piggy eyes', one only has to look at the catalogue of problems in Australian zoos with Malaysian tapirs and cataracts which is presumably caused by the bright sunshine and high UV. I've not heard of any such problems for the Brazilians.
Regarding the tapirs at ZSL, I think it makes more sense for London Zoo to concentrate on 'smaller rainforest' species such as those listed above, over the savannah megaspecies which would be best kept at Whipsnade. A higher planting of trees plus cammo netting provides the best setting for these species, while the exhibits can work around the tighter confines of a smaller city zoo including those unique architectural difficulties that London deals with. A collection with gorillas, okapis, tapirs, bongo, pygmy hippos, bearded pigs, Sumatran tigers, Komodo dragons is hardly lacking in charismatic megafauna.
Neither have I- it seems confined to Malayans, and even then only in countries with bright light e.g. Australia as you mention.
I think in all other respects the Malayan Tapir at ZSL are suitable for where they are living- except for their retiring nature... The problem is at least as much with the building and how you get animals which can fill it successfully. I agree Savanah species are not suited to London- the zebras rather demonstrate that point.
In this respect the way forward for ZSL/Regent's Park is undeniably - despite reflective criticism to that effect here - the road they have taken and a definite plus despite all clamour that they invest as well in some high end species as those deemed "less loved" - and frequently unjustly so - by the general public.
Exeption being the loss of diversity in bird species ...