...after the female that came from Berlin to replace 'Emma' who had died, also died only a few months after its arrival. That left Quinto as their only Black.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 2015
- Thread starter Jedd Cullinan
- Start date
...after the female that came from Berlin to replace 'Emma' who had died, also died only a few months after its arrival. That left Quinto as their only Black.
Quick question does anyone know what will happen to the old African Dwarf Crocodile enclosure?
Last white rhino at Whipsnade was Shaka in March 2008.
I guess the issue is with Nsiswa - who incidentally only has 7 offspring - is his aging and not being able to hold his own. It would be nice to see 1-2 younger and unrelated bull white rhino at Whipsnade.
I guess the issue is with Nsiswa - who incidentally only has 7 offspring - is his aging and not being able to hold his own. It would be nice to see 1-2 younger and unrelated bull white rhino at Whipsnade.
A second white rhinoceros was also born at Whipsnade in March 2008 a couple of weeks after “Shaka” although, sadly, this animal didn't survive.
I believe the mother, Trio, also died whilst in labour with this calf that Tim mentions.
The new Butterfly House is well worth a look, if you can avoid the multitude of buggies and scooters parked outside! Staff believe the exhibit should be self-sustaining within 3-6 months.
The new Butterfly House is well worth a look, if you can avoid the multitude of buggies and scooters parked outside! Staff believe the exhibit should be self-sustaining within 3-6 months.
Yes, that's correct; the white rhinoceros "Trio" died at Whipsnade in March 2008. (She was born at Whipsnade in October 1976.)
The Nilgai have produced twins, the first since 1995, the Barasingha have produced 3 fawns.
Does anyone know if the other Asian deer species and the Przewalskis's horse are as inbred as the Père David's deer?
Does anyone know if the other Asian deer species and the Przewalskis's horse are as inbred as the Père David's deer?
Pere David's deer and Przewalski's horse are both extremely inbred, due to the wild populations being entirely exterminated and the current world populations being derived from a few animals which happened to be in zoos. The current world population of Pere David's deer is derived from eleven animals and of Przewalski's horse from nine animals.
Further to Chlidonias comment...while no other Asian deer species are inbred to anything like the extent of the Pere Davids, some populations e.g. the Central Indian race of Swamp Deer and the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer have sunk to very small numbers in the past( something like 70 in both cases I think) so they may well have experienced levels of inbreeding.
N.B. Whipsnade's Barasingha/Swamp Deer are of the less endangered northern race. However, on a different level, the Asian deer/antelope herds at Whipsnade are, to my knowledge, very inbred, having rarely, if ever, received any infusions of new blood from other herds. The new Blackbuck and Nilgai being exceptions obviously.
Asian elephant Max has passed away after succumbing to Elephant Herpes Virus.
This, I believe, is now the fourth ZSL fatality after Aneena, LeeLee and Donaldson.
This, I believe, is now the fourth ZSL fatality after Aneena, LeeLee and Donaldson.
Not again 
so so sad !! That explains why you couldn't to into the elephant house yesterday and only some of the herd were visible. Mainly we saw 4/5 elephants I think it was Donna, Sam, George and I thought was max but must have been Scott. Also the adult male emmette wasn't in his usual pen but closer to the herd in the pen behind the house.
so so sad !! That explains why you couldn't to into the elephant house yesterday and only some of the herd were visible. Mainly we saw 4/5 elephants I think it was Donna, Sam, George and I thought was max but must have been Scott. Also the adult male emmette wasn't in his usual pen but closer to the herd in the pen behind the house.As much as this is upsetting news, I'd be interested to know the future breeding implications this would have on the group-I doubt another breeding collection would take any calves that have been in contact with the virus. Surely the risks would be too great?Correct me if I'm wrong.
Or should the future of ZSL's elephants lie with them keeping a batchelor group?
Or should the future of ZSL's elephants lie with them keeping a batchelor group?
When I asked a zsl staff member he just said ideally we want female calfs but you get what you are given. So when the male calfs mature its up to the power above the European breeding programme where the calfs go, a facility in Spain is where our last calf Euan resides and he lost 3 of his older playmate calfs to the herps virus and they still took him, so I think as long as the elephant is healthy to travel it wouldn't be a problem. As herps is a virus so it's impossible to say the source of transmission x
The two onagers currently on display are both females. There is a stallion kept behind the scenes; although really off-exhibit, I caught a glimpse of him today behind the greater kudu and impala paddock.
According to the newest research, almost all elephants in the world - both wild and captive - are infected with not just one, but serveral strains of EEHV. Whichever zoo herd is tested for the different types and subtypes of EEHV, if you look for it long enough, you`ll find something. So no, there is no legitimate concern about moving young elephants from Whipsnade to other zoos.
During infancy and adolescense, elephants develop an immune response strong enough so that an adult elephant rarely ever gets sick even when the virus is active. Only the calves are in danger. It`s still unclear why some calves die while others grow up healthy. It`s also unclear why some zoos loose so many calves and others not. The loss of another young elephant in Whipsnade is just awful.
Last edited:
How old was this calf? Is there a specific age around which Whipsnade have lost their calves, or has it varied a lot?
Extremely sad news; “Max” was born on 12th October 2013
According to the on-line Asian elephant database, the other dates are:-
- "Aneena":- 16th March 2004– 17th December 2006
- "Donaldson":- 17th January 2008 – 2nd May 2009
- "Leelee":- 19th January 2007 – 17th May 2009
It should also be noted that Max's older half-brother, Scott, contracted the virus last year but, thankfully, fully recovered.
I'd be interested to know the current status of ZSL's eldest surviving calf Euan, transferred to Sevilla I believe.Any pictures?
I'd be interested to know the current status of ZSL's eldest surviving calf Euan, transferred to Sevilla I believe.Any pictures?
Looks like a gaur has been born.
https://www.facebook.com/zslwhipsna...876300695115/1099902690025800/?type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/zslwhipsna...876300695115/1099902690025800/?type=1&theater
Nice bit of news, that - it's only slowing the near-inevitable doom of this taxon in European collections, but even slowing the decline is good; more time to possibly import fresh blood.