ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2022

Panthera1981 said:
[QUOTE="Jamb Also, is anyone aware of why Kaylee hasn't breed since Donna in 2009?
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No reason, age maybe? I think there was an attempt to breed with the new bull to see if she was still viable, but no pressure from the keepers.[/QUOTE]

She was only 27 at the time of Donna's birth, so it dosen't really make any sense. Was the attempt made with Ming Jung?

She's now 40 so I don't see any hope of her breeding again, although there's still the slim chance.
 
Jambo said:
No reason, age maybe? I think there was an attempt to breed with the new bull to see if she was still viable, but no pressure from the keepers.
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She was only 27 at the time of Donna's birth, so it dosen't really make any sense. Was the attempt made with Ming Jung?

She's now 40 so I don't see any hope of her breeding again, although there's still the slim chance.[/QUOTE]

From what I remember, which is admittedly very little, they were going try one final time with Kaylee at the same time as Karishma. However, staff left the decision with Kaylee so it would have been an unexpected bonus if she did become pregnant, there was no pressure. I think by then the decision had been made to move forward with Karishma, Donna and Elizabeth.
 
I'm happy to report that both Wolverines are in their paddock and were doing Mach 3 earlier today, the missing signage has been replaced.

The new Red panda enclosure has been heavily "managed" The undergrowth has been cut back, and a large tree felled, giving a good view through the area.
Having said that it was bloody cold up there today, and I guess he was curled up in his nest box.

The gates between the cheetah paddocks are open, giving access to both sides to the remaining Cheetah. No sign of it today though.


It didn't take the Lions long to figure out where the sun trap was either.

Quote of the day, over heard in the Lion area
" I'm glad to see that the lions are back I wonder where they went?"
 
Ectotherm said:
I'm happy to report that both Wolverines are in their paddock and were doing Mach 3 earlier today, the missing signage has been replaced.

The new Red panda enclosure has been heavily "managed" The undergrowth has been cut back, and a large tree felled, giving a good view through the area.
Having said that it was bloody cold up there today, and I guess he was curled up in his nest box.

The gates between the cheetah paddocks are open, giving access to both sides to the remaining Cheetah. No sign of it today though.


It didn't take the Lions long to figure out where the sun trap was either.

Quote of the day, over heard in the Lion area
" I'm glad to see that the lions are back I wonder where they went?"
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That’s so good! I was there the other day and someone commented that one of the lions ‘that used to be there’ before was indeed back and ‘has suddenly grown a lot of hair’.

Good news on the signage.
 
Tim May said:
You mention both wolverines; according to the most recent ZSL Animal Inventory there were three wolverines as at 1st January 2022; has anybody seen three recently?
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On 12/2 (according to the picture date) I was photographing the wolverines as they were being fed by one of the zoo student groups and there were 2 at the enclosure fence. The keeper leading the session mentioned another one had been separated out in the enclosure at the back (the enclosure with the tall tree they can sometimes be seen climbing on). So I didn’t see three myself but the third one was mentioned if that helps.
 
Tim May said:
You mention both wolverines; according to the most recent ZSL Animal Inventory there were three wolverines as at 1st January 2022; has anybody seen three recently?
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I've not seen 3 in a long time, although it is possible as Lafone mentioned, the 3rd is in the "Side" paddock. I've looked in the past, and hopefully it was just hiding.
 
Ectotherm said:
I've not seen 3 in a long time, although it is possible as Lafone mentioned, the 3rd is in the "Side" paddock. I've looked in the past, and hopefully it was just hiding.
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The third wolverine is in the side paddock, we got good views of her climbing trees last week and just a quick glimpse of her running around this Monday.

Ectotherm said:
The new Red panda enclosure has been heavily "managed" The undergrowth has been cut back, and a large tree felled, giving a good view through the area.
Having said that it was bloody cold up there today, and I guess he was curled up in his nest box.
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Nilo, the red panda, seems to have adopted the evergreen tree opposite the path that heads towards the old sealion building to sleep in. When he's hungry he makes his way across to the adjacent bamboo plant then heads back to sleep in the middle of the tree. He is quite hard to see unless you know where to look.
 
rjh said:
The third wolverine is in the side paddock, we got good views of her climbing trees last week and just a quick glimpse of her running around this Monday.
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Excellent (y)

Although in all honesty my post regarding the wolverines goes back a couple of pages, when someone mentioned there was only one name tag, yet they had seen 2 wolverines, in THAT paddock. I was just confirming that there was still 2 in there and the name tag had been replaced. ...

Ectotherm said:
I'm happy to report that both Wolverines are in their paddock and were doing Mach 3 earlier today, the missing signage has been replaced.
Click to expand...
 
rjh said:
The third wolverine is in the side paddock, we got good views of her climbing trees last week and just a quick glimpse of her running around this Monday.



Nilo, the red panda, seems to have adopted the evergreen tree opposite the path that heads towards the old sealion building to sleep in. When he's hungry he makes his way across to the adjacent bamboo plant then heads back to sleep in the middle of the tree. He is quite hard to see unless you know where to look.
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That's good news on the third one, always good to confirm what is overheard!

Hard to see now but come the summer Nilo will only be seen by the keenest eyes I suspect!
 
Lafone said:
Hard to see now but come the summer Nilo will only be seen by the keenest eyes I suspect!
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The more I read about this, the more I feel what a completely unnecessary, pointless move this was! Unless the tree had a terminal disease, there was nothing wrong with the original exhibit imo. It’s one of the UK’s better Red panda exhibits, utilising a natural feature at minimal cost and labour. The only “viewing issues” were when the tree was in leaf.

That old Squirrel monkey area could have been used for something so much more substantial than a solitary animal. Why not move the Saki monkey family from the defunct Discovery Centre onto there and have mixed exhibit with a tamarin or marmoset species?
 
Panthera1981 said:
The more I read about this, the more I feel what a completely unnecessary, pointless move this was! Unless the tree had a terminal disease, there was nothing wrong with the original exhibit imo. It’s one of the UK’s better Red panda exhibits, utilising a natural feature at minimal cost and labour. The only “viewing issues” were when the tree was in leaf.

That old Squirrel monkey area could have been used for something so much more substantial than a solitary animal. Why not move the Saki monkey family from the defunct Discovery Centre onto there and have mixed exhibit with a tamarin or marmoset species?
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It could indeed have been more imaginatively used.

Hopefully we will see the female arrive when she’s ready and with luck it will become a family zone.
 
Panthera1981 said:
The more I read about this, the more I feel what a completely unnecessary, pointless move this was! Unless the tree had a terminal disease, there was nothing wrong with the original exhibit imo. It’s one of the UK’s better Red panda exhibits, utilising a natural feature at minimal cost and labour. The only “viewing issues” were when the tree was in leaf.

That old Squirrel monkey area could have been used for something so much more substantial than a solitary animal. Why not move the Saki monkey family from the defunct Discovery Centre onto there and have mixed exhibit with a tamarin or marmoset species?
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you make a fair point but surely its has to be an improvement for him now that he has access to more then one tree?

I feel like the Saki family are a bit more of a delicate species compared to the squirrels are would struggle with a much smaller heated area?
 
As much as I’ve loved the pandas in the old enclosure, I personally feel it’s probably not quite up to the standards needed. It’s unfortunately probably one of the ‘weaker’ enclosures at the zoo so I’m looking forward to seeing it in its new home
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
I’m looking forward to seeing it in its new home
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He was hard enough to spot in the old one, wedging himself against the trunk for most of the day.
Lots more hiding places now :)

However I wonder what they are going to do with the old panda enclosure?

Draining the moat on the "new one" has displaced a lot of frogs though...
 
Ectotherm said:
He was hard enough to spot in the old one, wedging himself against the trunk for most of the day.
Lots more hiding places now :)

However I wonder what they are going to do with the old panda enclosure?

Draining the moat on the "new one" has displaced a lot of frogs though...
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well that’s true, but more space for him so I can live with that ha!

I think I read on here it will be empty, and I think it’s probably not really up to the standard for anything else?
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
well that’s true, but more space for him so I can live with that ha!

I think I read on here it will be empty, and I think it’s probably not really up to the standard for anything else?
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I’d be surprised if anything else went into the old place. It’s pretty specific with a comparatively low fence and the big tree that a nimble diver or swinger could probably engineer an escape over the fence from. The keeper I spoke to a while back said there were no plans for it but being whipsnade info wise there could be a buffalo in it next week (jk).

I think they might have used it a bit more inventively and expanded the collection overall but confess I do enjoy watching Nilo out and about in his spacious new home.
 
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