Yes I know that is what is on the notices but there must be a reason for that .
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter Lafone
- Start date
I don't think just the birth of fawns would close the area, it hasn't previously afaik. If it was the reason I think they would say so.
As I say, maybe it's something they've decided to do differently.
No one knows, and not sure the zoo need to say anything unless it's something requiring culling the lot really.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
So when they said there would be a new species it was a flat out lie? Why would they bother, in the past they simply said nothing or that it would be a picnic area. I can't see the point of lying on social media or the zoo website, it really would be too much effort. I get every piece of news is now regarded as a disaster but there's no point in lying at the zoo, it's an utter waste of their time.
I think we will see a new species in there as they say.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
There were a few injuries to the Sika deer when I was in there a little while ago, I assumed the stags had been fighting as one was quite cut up so perhaps it had something to do with it. I had assumed PTA was just closed to settle in the Banteng tbh and ensure they didn't dive under cars before the sign went up.
I mean, you'd know about it if a banteng dove under your car
Lafone
Well-Known Member
The road is a bit rutty and you always risk a wheel..a banteng speedbump would however be quite noticeable as you say!
Yes, I completely forgot about the Banteng. That might be the obvious reason, to allow them to settle, see how they react with the deer etc and accustom them to vehicles being driven past them. Likely that is the main reason.
I was up there the day the Banteng were let into the area for the first time and I'm almost certain it was the same day Passage Through Asia closed, therefore I think the under veterinary care is there term for letting the Banteng settle in.
Tetradactyla
Active Member
This statement made me realise that I'd been operating under the (perhaps mistaken) assumption that Whipsnade intends to bring in a large species to replace the common hippo which will make full use of the existing water areas. As always, the simplest solution is usually the most plausible one - especially where ZSL's notoriously unambitious budget is concerned!
With that in mind, I wonder if the plan is to give the house itself over entirely to pygmy hippo, allowing two complete, adjoining enclosures for a breeding pair (a la London's current pygmy hippo setup), and then add a purely terrestrial species in the outdoor paddock, with the moat acting as just that - a moat.
In which case, I wonder if we could see the duiker move from London to Whipsnade - they would certainly fit with the geographical theming of the area, and would likely benefit from the separation provided by the existing stand-off barriers and moat across the bottom.
All complete speculation, of course - I'm just having fun pondering!
cerperal
Well-Known Member
I was thinking duiker might be an option as well, but the one at London has spent the past part of 2 years finding its confidence both with guests and the okapis so that one likely won't move. I certainly wouldn't say no to Whipsnade gaining a slightly more exotic subspecies though - it would certainly fit in very well.This statement made me realise that I'd been operating under the (perhaps mistaken) assumption that Whipsnade intends to bring in a large species to replace the common hippo which will make full use of the existing water areas. As always, the simplest solution is usually the most plausible one - especially where ZSL's notoriously unambitious budget is concerned!
With that in mind, I wonder if the plan is to give the house itself over entirely to pygmy hippo, allowing two complete, adjoining enclosures for a breeding pair (a la London's current pygmy hippo setup), and then add a purely terrestrial species in the outdoor paddock, with the moat acting as just that - a moat.
In which case, I wonder if we could see the duiker move from London to Whipsnade - they would certainly fit with the geographical theming of the area, and would likely benefit from the separation provided by the existing stand-off barriers and moat across the bottom.
All complete speculation, of course - I'm just having fun pondering!
Regarding the plumbing, this only applies to the indoor pools of which I believe the common hippos have 4. It's reed filtering but as Panthera has said it costs an obscene amount, obviously multiplied due to the zoo providing the hippos with several off-show ones as well. That means there's also a lot of water areas not available to the public that I suppose they could use for a new species or simply concrete over. I'll be honest I still don't buy into the idea that this is financially motivated, but simply ZSL prioritising the more endangered of the two species while knowing they would need to lose the species for the foreseeable future regardless of whether they found new hippos or not. Longleat will provide inarguably the best place for them to live and the current hippo infrastructure is rather long in the tooth anyway.
I do think the replacement species will at the very least be one that uses the outdoor pools, and is areas somewhat semi-aquatic. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet it that hopefully whatever work is done on the paddock brings better viewing - unless the hippos were on the concrete outside the house or in the inside pool, they were bloody hard to get a good look at
That's the most likely scenario IMO. Though I'd hope it might be something more 'exciting' than Duiker though I can't imagine what. As I mentioned previously, something like Sitatunga would actually use the 'lake' too .
Sheepy12
Active Member
When I went to Whipsnade on the 24th of March, the Banteng were in the drive through enclosure. They were quite close to the front and got some nice pictures of them. I thought they were supposed to be there tbh. Although the drive through was open for sure then
Read the news about the hippos departure earlier this week and just caught up on the thread as a whole now, I agree it’s disappointing.
My first thoughts were tapirs (Malayan or South American) too but they don’t fit the theme. If they added capybara too they could market the area as a mini South American section which is a geographical theme they lack, and Lowland Tapir and Capybaras are an easy fix.
Giant otters as a third species there would be great and a species that would make proper use of the pools.
If they stick with African species aside from Cape or Dwarf Buffalo I can’t think of many that would use the pools properly (even Sitatunga prefer much shallower water no?), so selecting a species like Gelada or Okapis, and leaving the ponds as a moat seems more obvious to me.
Unfortunately based on previous I can’t see the new species they fill the enclosures with being anything ambitious.
My first thoughts were tapirs (Malayan or South American) too but they don’t fit the theme. If they added capybara too they could market the area as a mini South American section which is a geographical theme they lack, and Lowland Tapir and Capybaras are an easy fix.
Giant otters as a third species there would be great and a species that would make proper use of the pools.
If they stick with African species aside from Cape or Dwarf Buffalo I can’t think of many that would use the pools properly (even Sitatunga prefer much shallower water no?), so selecting a species like Gelada or Okapis, and leaving the ponds as a moat seems more obvious to me.
Unfortunately based on previous I can’t see the new species they fill the enclosures with being anything ambitious.
Sitatunga will swim but possibly only as an escape measure or when crossing deeper water etc. So I don't know how much they would actually use those pools. We are all very interested on here to see what does materialise as the replacement.
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My local zoo kept sitatungas for decades and had an end of exhibit pool with shallow and deeper water at the fenceline. The sitatungas just loved it and often stood there or half submerged in it.
Alarmingly chilly for 5th May today, but a worthwhile outing for:
- seeing the buzzard eagle up in the air for the first time (the bird show then descended into chaos, as the pied crow refused to leave a tree)
- seeing the new middle white piglets trotting around down on the farm
- seeing the baby gemsbok out in the field for the first time (to us) - I've popped a couple of pics in media
Baby gemsbok - ZooChat
Baby gemsbok - ZooChat
- bears also playing in the water
- Kora the bongo was in the paddock - no sign of Pembe today
- seeing the buzzard eagle up in the air for the first time (the bird show then descended into chaos, as the pied crow refused to leave a tree)
- seeing the new middle white piglets trotting around down on the farm
- seeing the baby gemsbok out in the field for the first time (to us) - I've popped a couple of pics in media
Baby gemsbok - ZooChat
Baby gemsbok - ZooChat
- bears also playing in the water
- Kora the bongo was in the paddock - no sign of Pembe today
Nice afternoon up at whipsnade today
The female Bongo looked great outside mixing with the stitanunga while the male was inside.
First time seeing the baby gemsbok in the field and looks very confident mixing with the blesboke and rhino.
The Aardvark house was blocked off with a sign saying they can be viewed outside(which they couldn't).
The Emu that was at the start of monkey forest has now gone with a sign saying the enclosure is empty.
The female Indian rhino is still way off show at the back of the enclosure.
I think they might have lost one of the Nilgai as they are down to 7 now unless it was hidden away.
Looks like they are building an outdoor shelter for the hunting dogs in the smaller of the 2 enclosures.
The female Bongo looked great outside mixing with the stitanunga while the male was inside.
First time seeing the baby gemsbok in the field and looks very confident mixing with the blesboke and rhino.
The Aardvark house was blocked off with a sign saying they can be viewed outside(which they couldn't).
The Emu that was at the start of monkey forest has now gone with a sign saying the enclosure is empty.
The female Indian rhino is still way off show at the back of the enclosure.
I think they might have lost one of the Nilgai as they are down to 7 now unless it was hidden away.
Looks like they are building an outdoor shelter for the hunting dogs in the smaller of the 2 enclosures.