ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2023

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Panthera1981 said:
Unlikely, at least for public use anyway (access, safety). The “Discovery Centre” closed to the public when the nearby Butterfly house opened, becoming keepers quarters and off show breeding facilities.
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True and tbh was hoping for another animal - though the outdoor enclosure is not the largest it’s small primate sized. Given Whipsnade has effectively gone out of smaller things (outside the butterfly house) except bids perhaps a bird or two could go in it.

It could make a nice small aviary though access for the birds to the house would have to be sorted - or the walkway removed and a small house put into the enclosure. Either way I’d hope they paint the walls!
 
Apologies if I am confusing the terms used for the exhibits and buildings in that area of the zoo, but isn’t the Discovery Centre the building that will soon be converted into the Reptile House, to the left of the former Egyptian Tortoise enclosure?
 
Kalaw said:
Apologies if I am confusing the terms used for the exhibits and buildings in that area of the zoo, but isn’t the Discovery Centre the building that will soon be converted into the Reptile House, to the left of the former Egyptian Tortoise enclosure?
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I always thought it was going to be in the rest of the building, also an old restaurant / function space, attached to the butterflies / aquarium. The Discovery Centre is separate to this building.
 
Kalaw said:
Apologies if I am confusing the terms used for the exhibits and buildings in that area of the zoo, but isn’t the Discovery Centre the building that will soon be converted into the Reptile House, to the left of the former Egyptian Tortoise enclosure?
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No, you’re referring to The Cloisters, an elongated building that was once used for functions and corporate activity. The conversion of The Cloisters to replace the Discovery Centre has been split into 3 phases: Phase 1, Butterflies; Phase 2, Aquarium; Phase 3 tbc but likely reptiles/amphibians
 
A few new things to note from my visit prior to Christmas not mentioned yet:
- The Red-Tailed Laughingthrushes and Edward’s Pheasants that were in the middle aviary owl wood, have been moved off-show to a ‘warmer location’ over the winter.
- Monkey forest is developing well, and a couple of new kid’s climbing equipment things have been installed alongside the path the on the other side of the langur & babirusa enclosure.
- I noticed two additional blesbok that were separated in the antelope house/holding. The house was shut to the public and so I reckon these are new individuals.
- Was nice to see the crowned pigeons in the butterfly house, always nice to have a new species.
 
AlexanderTHG said:
A few new things to note from my visit prior to Christmas not mentioned yet:
- The Red-Tailed Laughingthrushes and Edward’s Pheasants that were in the middle aviary owl wood, have been moved off-show to a ‘warmer location’ over the winter.
- Monkey forest is developing well, and a couple of new kid’s climbing equipment things have been installed alongside the path the on the other side of the langur & babirusa enclosure.
- I noticed two additional blesbok that were separated in the antelope house/holding. The house was shut to the public and so I reckon these are new individuals.
- Was nice to see the crowned pigeons in the butterfly house, always nice to have a new species.
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Great to hear the additional Blesbok have arrived! Such a fascinating looking species!

Are the crowned pigeons new in the butterfly house? I believe there was a species of bird in there already?
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
New Year’s spruce up at the Zoos | London Zoo

Some updates on work going on over the winter at both sites.
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Tiger paddock improvements
Whipsnade Zoo

Work starting on 8 January for 5 weeks

While we’re sprucing up the tiger enclosure and the visitor walkways around the enclosure, Whipsnade Zoo’s Amur tiger Czar won’t be in his enclosure.

Sensible given some of the the wooden walkway needs replacing given it's getting saggy and has been fenced off for a while. Hope they replace the climbing frame at the front of the enclosure while tidying as that's just a series of rotting poles now and it used to be a great place to see the tigers sitting up high. Perhaps they can also get the waterfall working again that flows under the bridge and fill the water space more effectively. Look forward to seeing what they do with it.
 
Lafone said:
Tiger paddock improvements
Whipsnade Zoo

Work starting on 8 January for 5 weeks

While we’re sprucing up the tiger enclosure and the visitor walkways around the enclosure, Whipsnade Zoo’s Amur tiger Czar won’t be in his enclosure.

Sensible given some of the the wooden walkway needs replacing given it's getting saggy and has been fenced off for a while. Hope they replace the climbing frame at the front of the enclosure while tidying as that's just a series of rotting poles now and it used to be a great place to see the tigers sitting up high. Perhaps they can also get the waterfall working again that flows under the bridge and fill the water space more effectively. Look forward to seeing what they do with it.
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Let’s hope they also do something about the visitor created “rat-runs” around the house. Some of these are so close to the partition fencing you could reach over and touch the tigers if they were close enough (and you were stupid enough to).
 
Panthera1981 said:
Let’s hope they also do something about the visitor created “rat-runs” around the house. Some of these are so close to the partition fencing you could reach over and touch the tigers if they were close enough (and you were stupid enough to).
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Would indeed be nice to see a couple of them made more official with some stand off, makes for some nice extra angles for viewing and a bit safer all round.
 
rjh said:
Three wild boar piglets were born in the last week, when we saw them today they were chasing each other around the enclosure until they had exhausted themselves.
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i thought the wild boar were off show for the winter?
 
Why are the wild boar moved to a different enclosure during the winter months, and am I right in thinking that in previous years they have been using an offshow enclosure behind the bears as their winter quarters instead?
 
Kalaw said:
Why are the wild boar moved to a different enclosure during the winter months, and am I right in thinking that in previous years they have been using an offshow enclosure behind the bears as their winter quarters instead?
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Yes they usually went offshow but this way I guess we get to still see them and their enclosure gets a bit of a break in the really wet weather - it really pools down the bottom of it, even muddier than they enjoy I suspect! Also this is the first season since the new bears arrived so maybe the back of their house isn't as conducive to boar and young now with more bears going into torpor.
 
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