ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2015

In case anyone thinks I'm being flippant about hedgehogs, here's why it matters: Hedgehog numbers in the UK have reduced from 30 million to 1.5 million in my lifetime. The Regent's Park colony of hedgehogs is the ONLY one left in central London, and the population in ZSL's car park are a particularly successful lot. So, worth nurturing I think.
 
Fantastic news! Has Effie had a youngster before or will this be her first one?
 
Effie ist a goood mother, but she hasn`t allowed her previous two babys (in Zoo Berlin) to suckle. The rumor I once heard was that she had a breast infection after having her first infant and of course, suckling a baby when having such an infection hurts. She may have "learned" that suckling an infant is associated with pain.
I hope for the best.
 
She may have "learned" that suckling an infant is associated with pain.
I hope for the best.

Effie has been about a bit(Copenhagen-Givskud- Berlin( 2 births) Leipzig- London. After Berlin she spent a year in Leipzig- I heard the intention then being to 'improve her mothering skills' though if the reason she rejected her babies is as you suggest, I can't see watching other mothers helping much. I believe she ended up at London (partially at least) because of incompatability problems at Leipzig.

Its been eleven years since her last birth, lets hope she has forgotten any unpleasant associations with feeding. It could go either way I think.
 
An interesting read, and video!

It may be nothing, but I was struck by Winnie's dentition, or rather lack of! :eek:A sign of her diet perhaps?
I guess the article wasn't interesting enough to hold your attention for too long :p

An examination of the bear's skull has shown that she had lost most of her teeth in old age - and museum director Sam Alberti suggests that this could have been because of children feeding her honey or sticky buns.
 
Some things from my visit today:

Effie is looking huge! According to a volunteer she is two weeks overdue already.

One of the bushbabies has had two young. The mother and the youngsters are in the far end corner enclosure, opposite the bats and next to the giant jumping rat, that used to house the grey slender loris pair (Moonlight World)

A pair of grey slender loris are now in the corner enclosure next to the water rats (Moonlight World)

Land of the Lions is really taking shape, some planting is going in and the langur enclosure looks close to completion. Have got some photos to upload to the gallery.
 
There was a notice posted outside Gorilla Territory
 

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