olhl.animal.photography
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Awesome thanks for your help!
ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024
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I don't imagine this is terribly helpful, but on my visit, one of the mountain chicken frogs was almost perfectly hidden under a leaf. I probably went by ten times before I spotted the frog. As for the salamander, the head was poking out of a log on my visit -- easy to see, though disappointed by the lack of activity. I share your reaction to the sculpture!
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Yes, you’re right.
The pitviper like the ledge at the very back of the vivarium, which is obscured by branches in some places, but with a bit of effort is visible in others,
I had a lucky and very enjoyable visit yesterday, highlights were definitely the lion cubs and gorilla babies:
- The Gorilla mothers and babies were lounging right up by the inside windows in a very relaxed way, with the babies tentatively standing and trying to walk, and one of the mothers (i think Mjukuu) was carefully picking something out of the youngster's hand.
- After hiding away in a far corner for almost the entire day, on my third or fourth try Arya emerged with her cubs at around 5.30pm near to the wooden platform, the cubs were play-fighting, trying to climb trees, grabbing her tail etc.
- The Colobus monkeys (at least 6 of them) were out and about in Monkey Valley, mostly grooming each other and lazing around on the walkway without appearing at all bothered by humans walking by.
- The Gorilla mothers and babies were lounging right up by the inside windows in a very relaxed way, with the babies tentatively standing and trying to walk, and one of the mothers (i think Mjukuu) was carefully picking something out of the youngster's hand.
- After hiding away in a far corner for almost the entire day, on my third or fourth try Arya emerged with her cubs at around 5.30pm near to the wooden platform, the cubs were play-fighting, trying to climb trees, grabbing her tail etc.
- The Colobus monkeys (at least 6 of them) were out and about in Monkey Valley, mostly grooming each other and lazing around on the walkway without appearing at all bothered by humans walking by.
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
Oh cool.
Do you know what happened to the Hoopoe and Von Der Decken's Hornbill?
Do you know what happened to the Hoopoe and Von Der Decken's Hornbill?
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Interesting - the VdD Hornbills were still signed on my visit in late March, although I did not see any, and per the 2024 stocklist only one male is present, so it is not unlikely that he has either passed away or departed the collection in the time since. A shame, as he was a rather attractive individual, and being in a walkthrough space with hornbills, my favourite animals, isn't offered all too often by zoos. Hopefully, seeing as this species is very commonplace in captivity, the zoo will acquire more in the near future
The hoopoes, it turns out, haven't been present all year, as the stocklist claims 0.0 are held - not sure what happened to them, but it is strange and unfortunate because, as mentioned earlier, they only arrived very recently (around the same time that Bristol, where they came from, closed down).
Dr. Loxodonta
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The Hornbill has moved to one of the various outside aviaries at the Blackburn Pavilion.
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olhl.animal.photography
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Oh cool, good to know he's still about. I'll have to try and see him on my next trip.
Ah that's a shame. I did see them in the wild when I went to Italy a few years ago but never managed to get pictures. Does anywhere else in the UK keep them?
Kalaw
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Zootierliste is a very good resource for questions such as these. According to them, there are 5 other UK collections that house Hoopoes, namely:
- Akamba Tropical House in Birmingham
- Cotswold Wildlife Park*
- Tropical Birdland in Desford, Leicestershire
- Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey
- Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall
*Don't recall seeing any (or even any signed) on my visit last July, so perhaps they are offshow, or this is an inaccurate listing, which is sometimes the case with ZTL, sadly.
Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
Believe cwp is a case of watch this space, did see one at Hayle last year when I went, not sure about the other 3 places it's been awhile since I visited them.
If you're keen on hoopoes, worth a trial subscription to BirdGuides. I've seen them a lot on the continent, but first wild one I ever saw was in Warwickshire.
Prochilodus246
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There was also one less than 10 minutes from where I live just the other day, frustratingly I missed the bird 
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
Nice - thanks for everyone's help.
I'm going to Paradise Park (Cornwall) in Summer so will try and see it then. Birdland and Birdworld are also places that I'm really keen to visit.
Regarding wild hoopoes, I've seen multiple in Italy in multiple trips, plus one on my school's campus last summer, which was a bit nuts. Nice to hear everyone has enjoyed seeing them at some point.
I'm going to Paradise Park (Cornwall) in Summer so will try and see it then. Birdland and Birdworld are also places that I'm really keen to visit.
Regarding wild hoopoes, I've seen multiple in Italy in multiple trips, plus one on my school's campus last summer, which was a bit nuts. Nice to hear everyone has enjoyed seeing them at some point.
Lafone
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The Hoopoes at CWP are in the Tropical House and signed in there on the multi animal board vs in a separate aviary.
You often need to wait a while to see them as they have free range in there, but they do offer good views and it is lovely to be unobstructed by fence or glass when they do pop out. Often to be found near the feeders on the far end near the exit.
This was in Feb, but I see them most visits (last on 28th April).
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