Lafone
Well-Known Member
Thanks! That’s quite the lineage.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2022
- Thread starter Lafone
- Start date
Thanks! That’s quite the lineage.
Two hypotheses for this one - very inbred therefore not ethical to breed from. Two - the logistics of having to displace four surplus lions for the sake of breeding others
Themonkeyguy1
Well-Known Member
Woburn and West Midlands also have females available, with both collections having females born in 2019/20. However, there’s a good chance that these will be retained for further breeding in the future.
Maybe I should’ve stated that, other than a few exceptions, the whole UK lion situation seems to be in a bit of a pickle!
Everything seems to indicate an import of foreign stock then.
I'd forgotten about Woburn and WMSP, however out of of the 7 cubs born at Woburn in last 3/4 years only 1 was a female so she will be kept I would imagine.
If you check the WMSP thread I think I put the individuals on there
Also, as we all know lionesses are usually in a pride made up of sisters and mother/daughter combinations so any individual lionesses would probably only come from an established pride if friction had started to form or space was at a premium
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ZSL in a pickle? Colour me shocked.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware there was a load of confusion about them to be honest. I saw them often referred to by name when visiting them at Whipsnade and when I visited YWP to see them there more recently, they called them out by name during the feeding / training demo (highlighting ages, differences between the males and the females etc).
There were some more obvious differences even to a visitor (vs a keeper or expert) in both size and colour, particularly the older/ parents vs the younger ones and clearer separation in terms of male vs female in the group (size, colour, forehead shape). A couple of the younger ones look quite similar to the untrained eye but that's just the nature of the species I would guess.
If there was an issue telling them apart at the daily care level that could be potentially dangerous for any medical procedures / medication / special handling etc. I'd have thought it would be important for the individuals to be identified and that links to them being referred to individually. It might be worrying to only know you have 'some sea lions'.
Was there some particular challenge with them?
They were the black shiny things with flippers?
Whipsnade Zoo: Conserving elephants
Interestingly it seems like Whipsnade wants to expand its elephant enclosure:
"We intend to significantly increase their already spacious home by more than tripling the size, and alongside the expansion of their outdoor areas, we’ll create brand new indoor spaces – accommodating a growing herd and allowing us even more opportunity to grow our conservation efforts. "
Interestingly it seems like Whipsnade wants to expand its elephant enclosure:
"We intend to significantly increase their already spacious home by more than tripling the size, and alongside the expansion of their outdoor areas, we’ll create brand new indoor spaces – accommodating a growing herd and allowing us even more opportunity to grow our conservation efforts. "
Lafone
Well-Known Member
That is interesting - there’s plenty of space to allow for that sort of expansion which would be good to see and a pretty clear statement of intent to keep elephants longer term with some places exiting from elephants. Any news that shows whipsnade taking a strategic view for the collection is welcome given this has been a bit of a rocky period.
I concur, it’s great news. It’s easy to be cynical about the state of things but that is hugely promising news.
It is very nice to watch the elephants at Whipsnade run around... would be nice to see them have more space to do so!
Another ZSL publicity stunt?!
They already have the biggest Asian elephant facility in the UK and spent several million on the new indoor facility only a few years ago.
The herd is hardly expanding, it is probably at its smallest in 15 years, 6? There have certainly been 10 at some points during that period, possibly 11!
This may just be an answer to the threats to ban the keeping of elephants in the UK, but the collection is falling apart, this really is not where money should be thrown!
Also, there is a railway line along one side of the paddock so the only place to expand realistically is the nearby car park!!
Exactly… hopefully Donna has her successful calf this year and I am unsure if the other female Karishma is expecting too, but Elizabeth is still not fully grown and even then it’s 2 years so even with the possibility of 2 more elephants. They have ample space currently, unless they plan to bring in more females to increase the herd and potential breeding?
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I'd say the 'growing herd' suggests some sort of expansion beyond a possible new calf, but then, who knows!
In terms of space they could come further towards the woods and go a bit further out the long side and indeed amend the car park (probably the least used of the car parks, outside the summer) and review that whole enclosure set down the rhino side, if they had a mind to.
I won’t make a comment on whether it is a publicity stunt but we have seen a vocal minority really push anti zoo agendas in the U.K. in recent years. Dolphins are gone, and are never coming back. Elephants are one of the species often targeted by these groups, so regardless of how much space they currently have, more space is always welcome.
I don't think the elephants occupying half of Whipsnade would satisfy the groups with such agendas! Better to fight any legislation by other means rather than throwing millions at something which will not make these groups disappear.
You can never have too much space IMO. It’s a fantastic elephant facility as it is, but you can always improve
Why not have a gate that leads over the railway and use the land opposite? Maybe the extra housing could be that side as well
Why not have a gate that leads over the railway and use the land opposite? Maybe the extra housing could be that side as well