Cotswoldgent
Well-Known Member
We didn’t see the lion cubs.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter Lafone
- Start date
Lovely vist yesterday, very misty and very quiet apart from a few school trips, didn't see the baby macques but the young langers were great fun to watch.
A sign outside the lions states they will be venturing outside later this month so expect some sightings soon.
Banteng are still in the offshow/passage through Asia area, my theory is they will move next to the Indain rhino(currently holding the white rhino from South lakes).
Also alot of activity around the Ostrich House with pretty much what seemed every keeper there, not sure if it was an arrival or departure but something seemed to be on the move.
Love a winter Whipsnade vist.
A sign outside the lions states they will be venturing outside later this month so expect some sightings soon.
Banteng are still in the offshow/passage through Asia area, my theory is they will move next to the Indain rhino(currently holding the white rhino from South lakes).
Also alot of activity around the Ostrich House with pretty much what seemed every keeper there, not sure if it was an arrival or departure but something seemed to be on the move.
Love a winter Whipsnade vist.
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
It would be nice to see the banteng and the remaining gaur housed next to each other - two very impressive beasts!
A very cold afternoon up at Whipsnade, getting my January midweek visit in before the two week closure. Got to try out my new camera that I got for Christmas, a lot more practice needed! Not an awful lot new to report on but the path around the house at Monkey Forest is now a more perminent surface which probably will help the area in the long run. Also wattle style fencing has been added around the outside area path.
I got to see the new male Spotted Deer and one of the two baby Macaques. Didnt see the Black Lemurs in the house but there were a few keepers in the walk through and the door to the inside area was open so perhaps they were beginning to let them into the main enclosure.
I got to see the new male Spotted Deer and one of the two baby Macaques. Didnt see the Black Lemurs in the house but there were a few keepers in the walk through and the door to the inside area was open so perhaps they were beginning to let them into the main enclosure.
I believe phasing out the Gaur from the collection is a big mistake, Gaur are as you say impressive perhaps more so than Banteng also endangered, Once they are gone I can't see them ever returning, The zoo could have retained both!
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Had a great day out at Whipsnade today, really cold and low cloud but not too busy. Lots of animal activity including some excellent Blesbok views. The Marabou storks were also out and active, bit of a shame to see their pond filled in with bark but might be weather related.
Some resurfacing work going on on some of the paths in the penguin enclosure.
Great views of the baby boar, with six playing about in the outside area.
Looks like all the work in the waterbuck / zebra paddock has been completed with the fencing done and all the temporary works and machinery gone since my last visit a couple of weeks ago when a few barriers were still up.
One of the young bucks was in quite a state in A Passage through Asia, covered in bloody gashes. Obviously under the good care of the Whipsnade team as there was a lot of shaved hair around the wounds. Looked like the result of clash with another male (though it's beyond the rut now) with all the damage at the front end. The buck was hanging around a long way from the other Sikas, in the middle of the Pere David deer. Hopefully will make a good recovery. The Pere Davids were right next to the Whipsnade mound so was able to park and then stand and watch the whole herd for a while on foot which was fun. One of the Pere David stags is in velvet, lovely to look at.
Edited to add forgot to mention with the bushes trimmed back you can see the outdoor wolverine den in the enclosure opposite the house end, appears to have had a bit of a refresh.
Some nice birds around with a Jay and a pair of Green Woodpeckers in the area where the wallabies on the way to the penguins.
Some resurfacing work going on on some of the paths in the penguin enclosure.
Great views of the baby boar, with six playing about in the outside area.
Looks like all the work in the waterbuck / zebra paddock has been completed with the fencing done and all the temporary works and machinery gone since my last visit a couple of weeks ago when a few barriers were still up.
One of the young bucks was in quite a state in A Passage through Asia, covered in bloody gashes. Obviously under the good care of the Whipsnade team as there was a lot of shaved hair around the wounds. Looked like the result of clash with another male (though it's beyond the rut now) with all the damage at the front end. The buck was hanging around a long way from the other Sikas, in the middle of the Pere David deer. Hopefully will make a good recovery. The Pere Davids were right next to the Whipsnade mound so was able to park and then stand and watch the whole herd for a while on foot which was fun. One of the Pere David stags is in velvet, lovely to look at.
Edited to add forgot to mention with the bushes trimmed back you can see the outdoor wolverine den in the enclosure opposite the house end, appears to have had a bit of a refresh.
Some nice birds around with a Jay and a pair of Green Woodpeckers in the area where the wallabies on the way to the penguins.
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Kalaw
Well-Known Member
They still could. I don't believe there is anything to say that the gaur are being phased out, just speculation now that Zlin and Berlin appear to be going against the phase-out (a matter of time before we see if the decision has officially been reverted by the EAZA). As @sparkes12 says there are places for the banteng to go other than the gaur enclosure once they leave, such as their former enclosure near the elephants which currently houses another white rhino temporarily.
Went up for our seemingly-weekly visit today. Very cold, but made for some great sightings of some of the lesser-spotted animals (maybe a partial pun, there). Both lynx were out, one climbing up onto their platforms and calling to something. One of the wolverine out with a deer leg clamped firmly in its mouth. Both aardvark were out as the keeper had put some food out for them. Both African hunting dogs were curled up in the cave under a heat lamp, but came out for a stretch. All the giraffe were wandering around the house, and Ijuna and Timba ventured out for a short wander. Even all 3 cheetahs put in an appearance.
The mountain bongo has been a lot bolder and more visible in recent weeks. A few weeks ago, he'd clearly been kicked out the house whilst they put down new bedding, and he was hanging around the hard-standing area desperate to get back in. Today, he was right out in the paddock, even coming towards the fence as we stood there.
The mountain bongo has been a lot bolder and more visible in recent weeks. A few weeks ago, he'd clearly been kicked out the house whilst they put down new bedding, and he was hanging around the hard-standing area desperate to get back in. Today, he was right out in the paddock, even coming towards the fence as we stood there.
So both whipsnade and ĺondon zoo have started there 2 week midweek closures, ìm wondering if they will use this time for any animal movements, looking forward to see what changes they make.
Don’t build your hopes up. I think the majority of work concerns essential maintenance that cant be done during normal opening hours.
Whipsnade did say that when they announced the mid-week closures.
Went up for a couple of hours today. Spring seems in the air judging by how much the Dartmoor ponies, giraffes and gemsbok were running about. The rhea were very inquisitive and up by the fence too.
Truthfully, only particular work I noticed was that the two food huts near the tiger, round by the path to the maribou stork, have been removed and the ground dug out. I assume they're putting harder standing down there for the huts as they're always busy, but who knows?
Truthfully, only particular work I noticed was that the two food huts near the tiger, round by the path to the maribou stork, have been removed and the ground dug out. I assume they're putting harder standing down there for the huts as they're always busy, but who knows?
Had a nice visit yesterday for the first time in August.
The Philippine Spotted Deer is a beauty, he was soaking up the sun in the middle of the paddock and a nice addition to the zoo.
I only saw 1 Indian Gaur in one of the stables before it retreated back inside. I am getting quite worried that (with the Blackbucks too) they don't want to progress with the species anymore and just waiting for them to die out.
It was great to finally see the Japanese Sika Deer for the first time when walking along the fence line in Monkey Forest. Also saw the 2 Blackbucks- one of them looked quite scruffy.
The Javan Banteng are still in the same place.
Pembe the Bongo was mixing with the 3 (1.2) Sitatungas (although I thought the zoo had 2.2)
This visit was the closest I had been to him.
Overall a nice day again.
The Philippine Spotted Deer is a beauty, he was soaking up the sun in the middle of the paddock and a nice addition to the zoo.
I only saw 1 Indian Gaur in one of the stables before it retreated back inside. I am getting quite worried that (with the Blackbucks too) they don't want to progress with the species anymore and just waiting for them to die out.
It was great to finally see the Japanese Sika Deer for the first time when walking along the fence line in Monkey Forest. Also saw the 2 Blackbucks- one of them looked quite scruffy.
The Javan Banteng are still in the same place.
Pembe the Bongo was mixing with the 3 (1.2) Sitatungas (although I thought the zoo had 2.2)
This visit was the closest I had been to him.
Overall a nice day again.
A curious situation with the Blackbuck. The two females are the last of a group of five that were imported (I believe that is correct) to restart breeding with their single male, the last survivor of the old London stock. He then died (old age probably) before they could be put together. Since then no attempt (afaik) has been made to add a new male to the group and the five females have now dwindled to two. It would not have been difficult to source a new young male e.g. from Knowsley SP to join these unrelated females and start a new herd, its strange that they didn't do so. They will obviously be allowed to die out now. A shame really.
Wondering how long it will be until the female Bongo joins him, was some time ago they said a suitable female had been found, poor lad been on his own so long now.
Well I hope the same thing doesn't happen as did with the Blackbuck.
I am surprised ... as bongo are quite well represented within Europe and there should also be a fair number left in the UK (Woburn Safari was a big producer ... at some point!)?
They seem to have declined in number in the UK quite dramatically.
I think Chesters group is doing well offshow, enjoying the peace