Also, at 8, Nilgai are down somewhat, previously there were up to a dozen. While Pere Davids at nearly 40 seems a significant increase. Sulawesi Macaques at 12 includes two births with a third since the inventory taken. Seems no more adults have been added to initial group of ten as forecast, but the group will be self-multiplying now it seems from these births..
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter Lafone
- Start date
The antelope individuals are getting quite low IMO- with just 6 female Scimitar Horned Oryx down from 9 last year as well as the Western Sitatunga and Blesbok with just 3 individuals left too.
Overall just 31 antelope individuals over 9 species.
Overall just 31 antelope individuals over 9 species.
I don't think Blesbok have ever been in higher number?. But overall the shrinking group sizes for several ungulates is significant.
That depends on how far you go back. In the late 1970s / early 1980s, Whipsnade had twice as many blesbok as it does today.
Agreed; I share your concern and disappointment about reduction in sizes of several ungulate herds.
I also have my reservations ... and just hope park management recognise they need to get back to a good number of antelope and deer species to be in more robust breeding group (after all there are not thaaattt many places with so much room to do so!!!
I particularly wonder what Whipsnade's long term plan is for large African and Asian hoofstock. That should be a focal area from them ...., aside from all the welcome diversification of the collection and the new theming of European area/wildlife and the themed Asian primate/hoofstock areas (more of both ... please)!?
Lovely day for the zoo:
- Mazungu is definitely still there - signs up and he was dozing in his paddock before heading into the house as soon as the gate opened
- Philippine Spotted Deer seems to have gone though - signs gone, no sighting of it, and its side of the house has no straw etc. Pigs were out in the paddock (again, until the gate opened when they raced back to their house)
- counted 3 baby macaques and they were out in the big enclosure which is the first time I've properly seen the troop come down to the lower path
- lion cubs playing with the male - only saw from a distance as the queue for the viewing window was massive - I do think the zoo miss a trick by not rethinking some of the boundaries for the lions as the viewing is quite limited
- only saw one gemsbok at a great distance in their house
- sitatunga were out and lying down. Stocklist says 2 males and 1 female - my only assumption is one of the males is young as there's a clear adult male and the other 2 look the same
- only saw 2 otters, one of which was scurrying around with straw making a nest somewhere
- gaur were out in the main paddock, first time I've properly seen them do that for a very long time
- 3 bears in the paddock and 1 in the 'indoor' area
- Mazungu is definitely still there - signs up and he was dozing in his paddock before heading into the house as soon as the gate opened
- Philippine Spotted Deer seems to have gone though - signs gone, no sighting of it, and its side of the house has no straw etc. Pigs were out in the paddock (again, until the gate opened when they raced back to their house)
- counted 3 baby macaques and they were out in the big enclosure which is the first time I've properly seen the troop come down to the lower path
- lion cubs playing with the male - only saw from a distance as the queue for the viewing window was massive - I do think the zoo miss a trick by not rethinking some of the boundaries for the lions as the viewing is quite limited
- only saw one gemsbok at a great distance in their house
- sitatunga were out and lying down. Stocklist says 2 males and 1 female - my only assumption is one of the males is young as there's a clear adult male and the other 2 look the same
- only saw 2 otters, one of which was scurrying around with straw making a nest somewhere
- gaur were out in the main paddock, first time I've properly seen them do that for a very long time
- 3 bears in the paddock and 1 in the 'indoor' area
Martii
Well-Known Member
Is Billy the Cheetah still there he was meant to arrive at Edinburgh at the end of February?
Not 100%. There were definitely 2 cheetahs but could well have been three - they were sort of piled together basking in the sun so hard to say definitively whether 2 or 3.
Wonder what is going on with the Philippine spotted deer Cervus alfredi .... Very odd!!!!
Martii
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply
They have slightly updated the map with the Nilgai and Gaur in the right place. plus the Gaur icon is actually a Gaur now!
Map | Whipsnade Zoo
Map | Whipsnade Zoo
The warty pig erasure on that map
As far as I know they have never been on the map sadly
Oh I know, I just find the lack of promotion of them sad. They're one of my favourites, my OH describes them as 'your pigs' whenever we go.
Last weekend there were like 5 groups of people watching them, I've never seen so many people round there. They're really fun entertaining animals.
They are always so fun and into watch. Especially with the group at 7 animals now
They're a similar category to meerkats, otters, monkeys/chimps, lemurs... you'd think they'd be a bigger hit with families as they're always doing something (unlike your 'big' zoo animals like the lions and tiger (though Miron is very showy).
Any idea when Elephants are moving?
Any sign of them being crate trained?
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Same! Enjoy the youngsters and they've had excellent breeding success over the last few years, great place to spend a bit of time. Plus the Mara often have a creche in the hedgeline there in Summer and dens under the trees just before, so you can get a baby Mara bonus.
According to a poster on the Edinburgh Zoo thread, Billy arrived there this week.