ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2021

Got some good news from the next time when I do go to London. The Butterfly Paradise, Blackburn Pavilion, Rainforest Life, and the Reptile House has reopened again
 
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I cycled past London Zoo today, I’m also a member.

Noticed they’re putting high fencing around the Giraffe enclosure, I presume this is to stop people seeing the giraffes from the road? They still left the footpath around the giraffe enclosure, I would though they would have included the footpath as part of the enclosure to give the Giraffes and Zebras more space? I hope with this new dancing the giraffes don’t lose perception of space?

is the Okapi, Painted Dogs and Water Hogs still in there respected enclosures?
 
Noticed they’re putting high fencing around the Giraffe enclosure, I presume this is to stop people seeing the giraffes from the road? They still left the footpath around the giraffe enclosure, I would though they would have included the footpath as part of the enclosure to give the Giraffes and Zebras more space? I hope with this new dancing the giraffes don’t lose perception of space?
No the fencing around the giraffe enclosure is not to prevent people seeing the giraffes from outside the zoo. By having a fence, instead of a moat, as a barrier round the enclosure, the space previously occupied by the moat can be incorporated into the giraffe paddock thereby enlarging the enclosure and giving the giraffes more space.
 
I believe it is a good development to have the paddocks extended this way. Under the given circumstances and the other species like okapi and pygmy hippo as neighbours probably the best solution (and being cost effective).

I am sure that - some might like - having okapi and pygmy hippo on one side and zebra and giraffe on the other would perhaps be "ideal", but the outlay, buildings (including dedicated giraffe house) and design of the general area precludes that.
 
No the fencing around the giraffe enclosure is not to prevent people seeing the giraffes from outside the zoo. By having a fence, instead of a moat, as a barrier round the enclosure, the space previously occupied by the moat can be incorporated into the giraffe paddock thereby enlarging the enclosure and giving the giraffes more space.

I thought the footpath was going to be abolished, to give the giraffes and zebras more room to roam. The viewing area as I understand from what a keeper told me that the viewing area was going to be moved where the old anteater home was. If the footpath is going to be abolished, then that would mean the moat would need to eliminated. So don’t still understand what the new fence is for?
 
Does anybody has an current stock list of the Moonlight World, äh..Nightlife, how it is called since a few years ? Also I need to know how many enclosures there are today and when the Aye-Aye's moved in - in 2019 ? Thank you.
 
Does anybody has an current stock list of the Moonlight World, äh..Nightlife, how it is called since a few years ? Also I need to know how many enclosures there are today and when the Aye-Aye's moved in - in 2019 ? Thank you.

Stocklist wise across enclosures:
- mix of Malagasy jumping rat and moholi bushbaby
- lesser hedgehog tenrec
- Australian water rat
- naked mole rat
- grey slender loris
- grey slender loris
- mix of Moholi bushbaby, Malagasy jumping rat and (temporarily?) potto

*When I visited last week the potto enclosure was being refurbished, hence me saying temporarily for the potto being part of the mix*

The aye-ayes aren’t in Nightlife and never have been. They were in the white round house from arrival until some time in the late 00s/early 10s, and then were kept offshow in the enclosure they currently inhabit until it was repurposed as part of the ‘Madagascar wing’ in 2014, which has its own nocturnal area. This nocturnal area has the aye-ayes currently, and in a now empty enclosure previously also had the tenrecs, some Malagasy jumping rats and the white-tailed antsangy over the years.
 
Does anyone know what reptile was kept in the display between Madagascar and the Rainforest? This is outside and by the hand wash station.
 
I visited the zoo yesterday for the first time since full re-opening and was pleased to see some developments: Most obviously building work has recommenced on the Snowdon aviary. Secondly The rain-forest kingdom seems to have new residents. Two new Golden-headed lion Tamarins have appeared, though I didn't see Bandit - does anyone know his fate? and the Goeldi monkeys seem to have replaced the Emperor Tamarins (again what happened to them?). Unusually the Tamandua had taken up a new residence in the central tree draped over a Y-branch, which made for a good view.

On the minus side, the Coral Reef display that was moved from the late-lamented aquarium to BUGS had only three fish (not species, actual fish) in it, with a sign saying it was still being developed.

A pleasant surprise was that the rescued Chinese Giant Salamander is now visible whereas previously s/he had remained hidden behind the rocks.
 

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I visited the zoo yesterday for the first time since full re-opening and was pleased to see some developments: Most obviously building work has recommenced on the Snowdon aviary. Secondly The rain-forest kingdom seems to have new residents. Two new Golden-headed lion Tamarins have appeared, though I didn't see Bandit - does anyone know his fate? and the Goeldi monkeys seem to have replaced the Emperor Tamarins (again what happened to them?). Unusually the Tamandua had taken up a new residence in the central tree draped over a Y-branch, which made for a good view.

On the minus side, the Coral Reef display that was moved from the late-lamented aquarium to BUGS had only three fish (not species, actual fish) in it, with a sign saying it was still being developed.

A pleasant surprise was that the rescued Chinese Giant Salamander is now visible whereas previously s/he had remained hidden behind the rocks.

If I remember correctly, when I last visited a volunteer told me that Bandit is in the enclosure at the back of the rainforest. She’s been given a male to keep her company.

I think the zoo have phased out the tamarins to replace them with the Goeldi’s - from what I could see on my last visit they make for a more dynamic display.
 
On the minus side, the Coral Reef display that was moved from the late-lamented aquarium to BUGS had only three fish (not species, actual fish) in it, with a sign saying it was still being developed.

A pleasant surprise was that the rescued Chinese Giant Salamander is now visible whereas previously s/he had remained hidden behind the rocks.
Reef tanks take a long time to establish, as most invertebrates are slow growing and the bacteria colonies in the filters need plenty of time to develope, so it is good practice to introduce fishes very slowly to avoid overloading the system with their wastes.
I like the giant salamander photo :)
 
Reef tanks take a long time to establish, as most invertebrates are slow growing and the bacteria colonies in the filters need plenty of time to develope, so it is good practice to introduce fishes very slowly to avoid overloading the system with their wastes.
I like the giant salamander photo :)

ah - regarding the reef that makes more sense, thank you.
 
If I remember correctly, when I last visited a volunteer told me that Bandit is in the enclosure at the back of the rainforest. She’s been given a male to keep her company.

I think the zoo have phased out the tamarins to replace them with the Goeldi’s - from what I could see on my last visit they make for a more dynamic display.

That actually isn't too bad a move by ZSL London IMO.

The emperor tamarin is not threatened and yet is held widely by zoos across the world.

Personally I do wish more zoos would begin to phase out species like the emperor and common marmoset (when and where these are not being used as model animals) and begin to hold more endangered Callitrichids like the Goeldi's for example.
 
The number of ZTL collections holding callitrichids is as follows:
Black tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix penicillata; LC): 23
Common marmoset (C jacchus; LC): 308
Geoffroy's tufted-ear marmoset (C geoffroyi; LC: 85
Black-and-white tassel-ear marmoset (Mico humeralifer; NT): 1
Black-tailed marmoset (M melanurus; NT): 7
Silvery marmoset (M argentatus; LC): 49
Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea; VU): 133; C.p. pygmaea; VU: 38; C.p. niveiventris; VU: 18
Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii; NT): 100
Andean saddle-back tamarin (Leontocebus leontopithecus; LC): 2
Red-mantled saddle-back tamarin (L lagonotus): 5
Spix's saddle-back tamarin (L fuscicollis; LC): 6
Weddell's saddle-back tamarin (L weddelli); L.w. weddelli; LC: 1
Black-mantle tamarin (L nigricollis): L.n. graellsi; NT: 4
Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator): S.i. subgriscens; LC: 130
Cotton-top tamarin (S oedipus; CR): 266
Pied tamarin (S bicolor; CR): 28
Golden-handed tamarin (S midas; LC): 110
Red-bellied tamarin (S labiatus; LC): 63
Spix's moustached tamarin (S mystax; LC): 5
Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia; EN): 67
Golden-headed lion tamarin (L chrysomelas; EN): 91
Golden-rumped lion tamarin (L chrysopygus; EN): 1
 
I visited the zoo yesterday for the first time since full re-opening and was pleased to see some developments: Most obviously building work has recommenced on the Snowdon aviary. Secondly The rain-forest kingdom seems to have new residents. Two new Golden-headed lion Tamarins have appeared, though I didn't see Bandit - does anyone know his fate? and the Goeldi monkeys seem to have replaced the Emperor Tamarins (again what happened to them?). Unusually the Tamandua had taken up a new residence in the central tree draped over a Y-branch, which made for a good view.

On the minus side, the Coral Reef display that was moved from the late-lamented aquarium to BUGS had only three fish (not species, actual fish) in it, with a sign saying it was still being developed.

A pleasant surprise was that the rescued Chinese Giant Salamander is now visible whereas previously s/he had remained hidden behind the rocks.
The two Golden headed lion tamarins are sisters.
Bandit is living in the old Goeldi area with a male.
The sengi has had a baby
 
Does anyone know what reptile was kept in the display between Madagascar and the Rainforest? This is outside and by the hand wash station.

Last I saw (admittedly, this was before Lockdown 1, so may have changed), this enclosure had been covered in decorative decals and was no longer in use for animal display. Can't recall exactly what was kept in there right before it was vacated (may have been a reptile), but the last I clearly recall were some kind of small climbing rodent (want to say Siberian Chipmunk, or something similar)
 
I remember there being a Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrel, I remember it from 2 or 3 years ago I think.

That sounds more like it, thank you! :)
 
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