Lafone
Well-Known Member
As a greedy visitor I'd much enjoy both!
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter Rosie183
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As a greedy visitor I'd much enjoy both!
Again I couldn't figure out why they got rid of the Axis Deer herd, yet retained the similarly spotted Fallow deer which are more European and common in the wild in the UK anyway.
Blackbuck- it seems just a question of these places having no desire to continue with them as the current ones die off. Whipsnade is particularly unfortunate given they deliberately imported five females to join the last male from the old/original London group. He then died before they could be mixed but they could easily have replaced him with another buck from e.g Knowsley SP. Just inertia at work? Longleat too could have added another male but seemingly choose not too and are evidently letting them dwindle to nothing now. Port Lympne have just a single male or two now afaik and there may still be some (females only) at Howletts- but the two parks split the sexes between them, presumably to prevent breeding, a long while ago now. Clearly a species they are letting fade out.
West Midlands still have a large but female-only group. At some stage I hope they may add a new male(s) and resume breeding again, perhaps as the group dwindles more. Otherwise they too will eventually join the 'phase-out' list.
The only two places still breeding them in the UK appear to be Knowsley SP and relative newcomers the Watatunga reserve in Norfolk.
I believe the reason several of these places seem uninterested in continuing their groups is that they represent a small/medium antelope of little interest to the public where other more impressive species are displayed and so they can be dispensed with. Knowsley stand out as the main exception but their Blackbuck represent a valuable part of the suite of species comprising their Asian drivethrough- Blackbuck, Nilgai, Axis and Brow-antlered deer( forgive if I've missed a species or two here). While Watatunga concentrate on ungulates anyway.
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I saw five(all female) the last time I went some years ago now. I think they had more than that previously, including a male.
I could never understand why Whipsnade got rid of the axis deer either; the species had been at Whipsnade ever since the zoo opened, so it was a great shame that they left the collection.
I understand your comments about retaining the fallow deer but think the huge herd of melanistic fallow deer (the founder stock coming from Epping Forest) make a superb display.
I believe the Whipsnade Axis Deer originated from Alfred Ezra’s collection. He sent some there at the outbreak of WW2, and perhaps earlier. Others went to Cleres, where a few of their descendants persist, although currently non-breeding
Yes, I always see the herd of fallow deer in the Asian Plains area. They breed true for the 'menil'-brightly spotted colour and never produce fawns of the other colours (afaik). I like them too and think Asian plains could have continued to sustain both them and the Axis. The herd of black fallow have eluded me on recent visits- I looked in their paddock by the hippos this visit for them but not seen.
Again, the Nilgai, and more recently both the Hog Deer and (most of) the Barasingha are in seperate paddocks, not in the Asian plains area itself. Is this just to fill otherwise empty paddocks, using existing stock rather than adding fresh species ?
I have several old cards of the Whipsnade Axis herd. They used to live in the Flintpit paddock which is opposite the brown bears and essentially where the Wolverines are now. Then they were moved to the Asian Plains. The last time I saw them there were probably around forty of them, at least- a fine sight.
Such an attractive species, as of course are Blackbuck. London Zoo had a nice group of the latter on the Cotton Terraces back in the day.
They were very inbred though. Later sent to Whipsnade where they dwindled until finally there was just a single male. They imported 5 females to restart with them again. The old male died and so now have 3 of the 5 females
Dr. Loxodonta
Well-Known Member
Yes I remember the male leaving a few years back, I’m typically a rather frequent visitor but since the entrance fee and simple things such as the Bus Price increased so much, my visits have been thinned down. I believe that 3 Female currently reside in the Monkey Drive-through, but as I haven’t been since December I was unsure.
I have not been for some years now. When I last went I thought the Blackbuck had gone until I found them in the Monkey reserve.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
I do think Longleat would be better off losing the Blackbuck to somewhere like Whipsnade as currently they don't really add anything whatsoever to the exhibit. The previous inhabitants of water buffalo and gnu were impossible to miss and charismatic, whereas the Blackbuck clearly aren't comfortable around the cars.
Ideally Whipsnade locates a male and starts breeding again but I dont see that happening.
HelloCrossy67
Well-Known Member
Sorry, that was a mistype, there are 3 to my best knowledge/per my last visit.
No official reason was given for the Axis departure at the time, though the group was highly inbred.
I don’t think the casual zoo visitor noticed their departure, but I do miss them and am also frustrated the zoo never took the initiative at the time with the Blackbuck (much like they never did with the Thomsons gazelle they’d planned on having share paddock space with the Bongo).
Personally I’d like to see Sambar in the drive-thru. I’m certain Whipsnade kept them at some point.
In response to an earlier post, the Nilgai were originally in the paddock next to the cheetahs in order to fill the space. The original plan was to have a mixed paddock with the Blackbuck
I don’t think the casual zoo visitor noticed their departure, but I do miss them and am also frustrated the zoo never took the initiative at the time with the Blackbuck (much like they never did with the Thomsons gazelle they’d planned on having share paddock space with the Bongo).
Personally I’d like to see Sambar in the drive-thru. I’m certain Whipsnade kept them at some point.
In response to an earlier post, the Nilgai were originally in the paddock next to the cheetahs in order to fill the space. The original plan was to have a mixed paddock with the Blackbuck
Agreed. One would think that, with the species history of persecution, they’d make an excellent success story for conservation. However, there’s probably limitations regarding the SSSI as to what can now be exhibited in that area of the zoo. I would thoroughly recommend Ken Burns “The American Buffalo” as an excellent watch.
Out of interest, does the zoo stock list still list Prairie dogs, or have they now finally bred themselves to extinction?
The current inventory does list Prairie Dog but at 0.0.0 so I guess they all died out
HelloCrossy67
Well-Known Member
Where were they kept?
I think they kind of kept themselves on the Downs
Prairie dog were kept at the “top end” of the zoo, and were found within the American bison paddock behind the penguins. I’m not sure if they were one of the zoo’s original “free-roaming” species nor do I know what their maximum number were. I personally don’t recall seeing them in any of the recent guidebooks either. They were pretty much left to their own devices! They certainly complemented the bison nicely as a mixed exhibit