ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2023
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Lafone
Well-Known Member
Great to see a partner for the female at CWP.
Wonder what that means for Puff the male at Whipsnade if a new male arrives...do wolverines usually live in zoos in unrelated mixed male and female groups?
Lovely afternoon up at the Zoo, everything was very sleepy today! Main thing to take away is that progress is really coming on with the Macaque/Anoa and Langur enclosures. Photos in the gallery.
Operation spot a Porcupine continues, one day I will spot them!
Nandi and the Warty Pig are both so much bigger now, its been great to see the progress both have made.
Also saw the new Lionesses but in the distance.
Operation spot a Porcupine continues, one day I will spot them!
Nandi and the Warty Pig are both so much bigger now, its been great to see the progress both have made.
Also saw the new Lionesses but in the distance.
As you drive around the Yak paddock, it’s the area on from the red crowened crane enclosure. It’s near the exit to the passage thru asia
Really good and I will see the progess of the Macaque/Anoa and Langur enclosures for myself when I do go up to Whipsnade
Reptile House
Well-Known Member
I take it the Macaque and Langur are being transferred from London Zoo? If so is it deemed that the enclosures in London Zoo are too small?
The Macaques are arriving from London whilst the Francois Langurs have been off show at whipsnade for a while.
The Francois langurs were transferred from London upon commencement of the new lion area development-what is now Land of the Lions. They’ve been off show at Whipsnade for years! Personally, I’m amazed they’re still going. They were a good breeding group so I’m thankful that, finally, somethings being done with them.
It would be good to see them on display again. For the record they aren't common in zoos but strangely the UK(at 4 zoos) and Ireland(at 1 zoo) have as many zoos with this species as in the whole of Europe( only at one zoo each in France, Belgium, Netherlands & Germany).
Land of the Lions opened in 2016 so the langurs have been held offshow at Whipsnade for at least 8 years! I agree, better late than never!
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
They're not labelled on the map, but there are Indian Gaur in a field between the giraffes, bison and otters. A very impressive animal (the largest extant cattle species), and the only members of their species in the UK. There are also Babirusa in a paddock between the cheetahs and the entrance to Passage through Asia (the zoo's drive-through area), which might be worth seeing.
Other animals which aren't labelled on the map include Lowland Anoa (behind the babirusa), Visayan Warty Pigs (between the elephants, yaks and Indian Rhinos), Emus (between the tigers and pelicans), Rhea (near the Children's Zoo), Japanese Crane (near the emus), Wattled Crane (between the hunting dogs and gaur), nilgai (between the gaur and pelicans) and Marabou Storks (in the aviary beside the restaurant). There may be others that I am forgetting.
Hog Deer are also in a paddock behind the cheetahs and opposite the zebras/waterbuck
Look out also for the reindeer - in the past domestic reindeer were kept adjacent the 'Africa field'; but recently these have been replaced by two males of the Eurasian Forest subspecies - the only ones in England and only ones in the UK outside of Highland Wildlife Park.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
This discussion really shows how at least for Whipsnade ZSL needs to rethink their maps. Yes, the current one looks nice. But Whipsnade is so blooming huge that the average visitor I would expect misses very interesting and unique species like the anoa and blasted gaur (I'm still convinced that everyone here is making them up given I've never seen them).
It applies less to the anoa and babirusa because they're still sort of off show, or at least waiting for their main exhibits. But having the option of a map that shows exactly where everything is as well would be a big help for those less acquainted with the zoo than us intellectuals.
If it's your first visit I would say do the elephants first thing and then loop back around to catch a bird show and do Europe. The bird show has a few new additions, the baby jumbo is incredibly entertaining when they're first let out and I've found it times well with the wolverine feeding to get a good view of Puff zooming up the trees. As everyone else has said there's lots to easily miss that Whipsnade has fantastic exhibits for, another thing is their aardvarks are very happy to wander about outside a bit so it might be worth hanging around there for a bit, also gives a great view of the side of the African enclosure the rhinos prefer to be in.
It applies less to the anoa and babirusa because they're still sort of off show, or at least waiting for their main exhibits. But having the option of a map that shows exactly where everything is as well would be a big help for those less acquainted with the zoo than us intellectuals.
If it's your first visit I would say do the elephants first thing and then loop back around to catch a bird show and do Europe. The bird show has a few new additions, the baby jumbo is incredibly entertaining when they're first let out and I've found it times well with the wolverine feeding to get a good view of Puff zooming up the trees. As everyone else has said there's lots to easily miss that Whipsnade has fantastic exhibits for, another thing is their aardvarks are very happy to wander about outside a bit so it might be worth hanging around there for a bit, also gives a great view of the side of the African enclosure the rhinos prefer to be in.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
I really can't understand Whipsnade's insistence on hiding so many major species on their maps. As well as all the species I listed above, the iconic Bison Hill hasn't been shown for ages, meaning that, on all of my many visits during which it was occupied, I missed the enclosure. By the time that I became aware of its existence, they had already departed, and it was somewhat depressing to make a point of visiting that enclosure on my latest visit, with the knowledge that I had missed out on one of the zoo's most iconic sights.
This might be a foolish suggestion, but I am aware that gaur are fairly shy and timid animals, and may be intimidated by large crowds. Perhaps the zoo is reluctant to label them on the map to avoid drawing attention to them? I'm not sure, but I feel as though there must be a reason that neither of the two locations in which the gaur have been exhibited since the new map was designed have been labelled...
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Great tips already.
Be prepared for a lot of walking as the animals will probably be about later if sleeping etc but there is a distance to go! If doing the elephants first check on the tiger and marabou storks. Usually the tiger (weird to write just the one now!) is more active at the start or near the end of the day.
Theres an activity / talk board as you enter the zoo and it’s worth snapping a pic so you can go along to things if you want to. Some of the animals will get up for the talks (the otters will if they’ve been in bed earlier).
Definitely second going to the bird shows.
if a first visit I would go on the train - it’s a good orientation to things you can go and find after and it has some nice views.
If over near the hippos you can do a bit of a repeat around flamingoes cheetah lion meerkats aardvark zebra etc if anything is asleep first go and there are some benches near the lions and a series of shaded picnic huts circle around the top of the park there which you might find useful if it’s hot.
Whipsnade signage can be a challenge - don’t be worried about asking where stuff is most people will be happy to help out. I am asked for more directions at Whipsnade than any other zoo I visit and it’s never an issue. I see people point the way all the time.
On a Saturday all the refreshment places should be open and there should be volunteers around too.
If you are taking the car in then passage through Asia has a car park (the Whipsnade mount) near the end which is worth stopping in - you can walk along the inside near the fences and if the horses and foals or the camels are up that end you can get some good on foot views. Sometimes the hoofstock are also near the gates at the top there too. Otherwise if on foot you can walk right to the cattle grids on both sides of the passage through Asia which offer some good angles if anything is near the entrance / exit.
Be prepared for a lot of walking as the animals will probably be about later if sleeping etc but there is a distance to go! If doing the elephants first check on the tiger and marabou storks. Usually the tiger (weird to write just the one now!) is more active at the start or near the end of the day.
Theres an activity / talk board as you enter the zoo and it’s worth snapping a pic so you can go along to things if you want to. Some of the animals will get up for the talks (the otters will if they’ve been in bed earlier).
Definitely second going to the bird shows.
if a first visit I would go on the train - it’s a good orientation to things you can go and find after and it has some nice views.
If over near the hippos you can do a bit of a repeat around flamingoes cheetah lion meerkats aardvark zebra etc if anything is asleep first go and there are some benches near the lions and a series of shaded picnic huts circle around the top of the park there which you might find useful if it’s hot.
Whipsnade signage can be a challenge - don’t be worried about asking where stuff is most people will be happy to help out. I am asked for more directions at Whipsnade than any other zoo I visit and it’s never an issue. I see people point the way all the time.
On a Saturday all the refreshment places should be open and there should be volunteers around too.
If you are taking the car in then passage through Asia has a car park (the Whipsnade mount) near the end which is worth stopping in - you can walk along the inside near the fences and if the horses and foals or the camels are up that end you can get some good on foot views. Sometimes the hoofstock are also near the gates at the top there too. Otherwise if on foot you can walk right to the cattle grids on both sides of the passage through Asia which offer some good angles if anything is near the entrance / exit.
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