ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

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Thank you for the tips! Had an enjoyable visit, haven't been for several years.
  • Colobus monkeys were all inside unfortunately, only spotted 3 inside
  • Aye Ayes were very active, one was trying to open a coconut on the floor
  • Spotted all 3 lion cubs fast asleep with parents nearby. Are the other adults in the other enclosure? Didn't spot them.
  • Saw all 4 tigers, will be good when the 2 move on as both enclosures feel a bit cramped.
  • Really enjoyed SLORA - the caecilians were very active and a good watch. A few species were hard to spot but think I saw almost everything there. Only saw one Giant Salamander, is there one on show on both sides? (The crocodile exhibit has been completely covered, so you wouldn't even know it was there unless you were looking for it)
  • Thought the 'new' Giant of the Galapagos exhibit was disappointing, feel they could include some birds or other species into the area?
  • Sadly we got to the Gorillas at the end of the day and could only spot one in the above tunnel, all others were in the off-show area.
  • Hadn't realised how much In with the Monkeys area had shrunk, is this so staff can keep a better eye on visitors?
  • A few no spots such as the Indian Mongoose, Mouse Lemur, Gibbons, Tamandua (probably a few more that I can't think of!)
 
JamesB said:
  • Spotted all 3 lion cubs fast asleep with parents nearby. Are the other adults in the other enclosure? Didn't spot them.

  • Sadly we got to the Gorillas at the end of the day and could only spot one in the above tunnel, all others were in the off-show area.
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There are no other adults, just the parent pair of the cubs...

Gorillas I find tend to be more visible earlier on and then very late in day they do disappear. Best to go there first after entering zoo IMO ( but I would anyway...)
 
The tamandua when not high on the trees does like to find a quiet corner in the unlabeled enclosure at the far end (opposite the golden lion tamarin). That inside enclosure normally has access to the main area.
 
Speaking with the volunteers in Rainforest Life is one of the best pieces of advice you can give to any London Zoo visitor. Always very friendly and informative, and seem to know all of the animals well enough to advice visitors.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit @JamesB . There is indeed one salamander in each enclosure (and an additional two offshow). Shame about the crocodiles, however. Hopefully everything is okay.

I believe you are correct that In With the Monkeys (which I still prefer to call by its older name of 'Meet the Monkeys,' personally) has shrunk due to staff supervision. Must say that this is my single biggest criticism of the zoo in its current state, as this (coupled with expansion of the lion enclosure) means that you must take a five or more minute walk back towards LotL and over the very congested boardwalk to get from that area to Blackburn Pavilion, when you could once do it in about thirty seconds.
 
JamesB said:
Hadn't realised how much In with the Monkeys area had shrunk, is this so staff can keep a better eye on visitors?
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The walkthrough as designed became difficult to manage, effectively because there were only a few places in the exhibit where you could stand and keep an eye on the monkeys and the doors at the same time. This became a particular issue as the troop grew in size and composition: the little gang of adolescent males, who had been born in the walk-through, were often congregated apart from the main group and had become very confident in approaching visitors, and the core group of adult females, who could spot a pushchair coming through the double doors almost faster than you could react (which was something the zoo were exceptionally keen to stop happening, and had been trying for months to solve prior to the part-closure of the walkthrough).

It got to the point where you really needed three volunteers in there for most of the day - potentially even four, during busy periods. Even with the decision to create a new paid position (the "Keeper-Stewards") to provide a consistent level of staffing throughout the day, I believe it became apparent that the walkthrough in its original form now required more supervision than the zoo could commit to providing on a volunteer workforce.

Having said that, the decision to close part of the walkthrough was initially because there was an issue with drainage, which meant that bottom loop at the end closest to the Blackburn Pavilion had flooded. As far as I know it was feedback from the keepers that kept it closed - both because it gave them a much-needed space away from the visitors for training and veterinary work (the walkthrough had no "off-show" area) and because they were able to note a reduction in the number of incidents taking place (since previously they would have been called out to deal with these, or at least made aware of them for record-keeping purposes)
 
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Kalaw said:
Must say that this is my single biggest criticism of the zoo in its current state, as this (coupled with expansion of the lion enclosure) means that you must take a five or more minute walk back towards LotL and over the very congested boardwalk to get from that area to Blackburn Pavilion, when you could once do it in about thirty seconds.
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This was especially bad when the boardwalk was also closed in March, as by the time you're going back around Land of the Lions and the Flamingo Pond you're more than halfway back to the entrance. This is unfortunately why Blackburn Pavilion is the only major exhibit I did not visit twice over my trips.
 
JVM said:
This was especially bad when the boardwalk was also closed in March, as by the time you're going back around Land of the Lions and the Flamingo Pond you're more than halfway back to the entrance. This is unfortunately why Blackburn Pavilion is the only major exhibit I did not visit twice over my trips.
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A real shame that you missed Blackburn Pavilion; easily my favourite exhibit at the zoo and possibly the best bird house that I have ever seen. (EDIT: realise that I have misread your post - thanks to Rajang21 for pointing this out)
polarbear said:
I spoke to a volunteer on Weds. The male has passed away, the female started wandering out into the public area and so is now permanently in an enclosure, where she likes to sleep hidden away from the public.
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Does this mean that tamanduas are now completely offshow? If so, a major loss to the walkthrough section of Rainforest Life, which now consists of almost exclusively monkeys, and even the wider European zoo scene, as subspecies-pure tamanduas are very hard to come by in captivity. Venturing into the public area seems like a strange reason to move it offshow, unless either the tamandua or the visitors were being particularly aggressive towards one another?
 
Kalaw said:
A real shame that you missed Blackburn Pavilion; easily my favourite exhibit at the zoo and possibly the best bird house that I have ever seen.
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I think they just meant they didn't see it twice, and did still go into BP on one visit.
 
Kalaw said:
Venturing into the public area seems like a strange reason to move it offshow, unless either the tamandua or the visitors were being particularly aggressive towards one another?
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Tamandua are potentially dangerous if they feel threatened due to their claws.
 
Rohin said:
Tamandua are potentially dangerous if they feel threatened due to their claws.
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When the tamandua had young, a similar thing occurred. The keepers would just pick up mother and baby and move them back into the trees, or at least away from the public. I doubt that is the reason - moreover there's constant volunteer presence to follow the sloths and tamandua around to prevent any incidences.

I'm back at London tomorrow so I'll ask one of the volunteers
 
Rohin said:
Tamandua are potentially dangerous if they feel threatened due to their claws.
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Sloths are equally dangerous and used to be listed as a Category 1 species under the Zoo Licencing Act, the same as the Giant Anteater. This would have prevented them from being kept in walk-throughs, so there must have been some successful lobbying to get them 'demoted'.
 
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ZooNews2024 said:
Sloths are equally dangerous and used to be listed as a Category 1 species under the Zoo Licencing Act, the same as the Giant Anteater. This would have prevented them from being kept in walk-throughs, so there must have been some successful lobbying to get them 'demoted'.
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Imagine being injured by a Sloth, the embarrassment!
Not saying it couldn't happen by the way, just the shame of telling how the slowest animal on the planet bested you
 
I got within swiping distance if you can call it that but nothing happened fortunately. As for the tamandua it still is partially on show and was in one of the back enclosures near the monkeys past the main rainforest area just sleeping in the corner, and most people didn't spot it so I had to ask a staff member where it was initially. I hope they get more of them in the future as they're one of the draws to that exhibit for me.
 
I was at the London Zoo night event a couple week ago and entered Rainforest Life quite late. The tamandua was in that back enclosure by the tamarins. Visibility was poor but she was very active as they are nocturnal. In fact, she was clawing at the door constantly trying to get out into the main area. A keeper shortly came along and unlocked the door, and he placed her on the floor to walk the lap of the walkway. At this point, visitors were over half way around, and as the tamandua walked from the entrance side and kept going and approached us, the keeper was telling us to stand back and picked her up to walk from the entrance side again. I think this was to allow her some exercise when she is probably most active. I think also using this as a way to herd people out of the pavilion, also telling us Rainforest life was now closed. However, this activity excited the last guests more so was difficult for them to move people on. Whether this happens every day, after the pavilion has closed, or she is let back out each night anyway, or whether it was just a one off thing, I do not know. I know ishe entered the staff area which made some staff and volunteers laugh.
I would presume she is let out in the main area for overnight, and goes back in the enclosure before opening on the next day. It was great to see her active though.
 
ZSH said:
Imagine being injured by a Sloth, the embarrassment!
Not saying it couldn't happen by the way, just the shame of telling how the slowest animal on the planet bested you
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They are so powerful that they require two strong adults to handle them, and their mouths contain bacteria which permanently infect a bite wound which will then heal over and break out in infection again, sometimes for many years without ever healing properly. Why not put it to the test, next time you are within cuddling distance...?
edit - so far as I know Tamandua were never a Category 1 dangerous species and are still not, and can hardly inflict serious wounds with their razor sharp triangular canines like a Sloth can....!
 
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ZooNews2024 said:
They are so powerful that they require two strong adults to handle them, and their mouths contain bacteria which permanently infect a bite wound which will then heal over and break out in infection again, sometimes for many years without ever healing properly. Why not put it to the test, next time you are within cuddling distance...?
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:eek::D
 
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