ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025

Lafone said:
No chance I imagine, they use the goats to control the grazing and just added the second group, easier to control and there would be better sightings for the bison in their existing enclosure. There are good examples of Przewalski's horse being used in that way, that would be a fun second herd.
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But worse for visitors!
 
Panthera1981 said:
What puzzles me is the situation with Lola. I understand the transfer with Hodor in the short term until the other cows arrive but, in the long term, what’s the point? She’s still capable of producing offspring so being at Longleat would surely make her redundant (unless Longleat have plans for 2 bulls). Why not loan her to Longleat in the short term, then bring her back to Whipsnade once everything’s in place and continue the breeding programme?
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Yes this part doesn't really make sense longerterm but her leaving indicates Whipsnade really wanted rid of them. Otherwise Hodor could have gone alone to coincide with the arrival of the new females and Hoover returned from Flamingoland to re-unite a breeding pair. HIghly unlikely Longleat will want more than a single group with one male.
 
cerperal said:
Or maybe there's no conspiracy and in this case the pointless red tape has been removed in a rare act of 'elf and safety not going mad? The logic being those either interacting or in possession of such creatures are trained and knowledgeable and not going to go out of their way to provoke an interaction that causes the human end of the party injury. Interacting with capybaras is safer than interacting with a housecat, let alone a dog, let alone something like a donkey which I am sure you will not be campaigning to be listed as a dangerous animal any time soon. With supervision of keepers, they are more than just safe - they are probably the most docile animals you can encounter.

A random example of dangerous animal listings being either misleading or very subjective - plenty of zoos allow visitors to interact directly with tapirs, and all of them allow keepers to be in with them. They are classed as dangerous animals in this country. They have been known to snap people's arms off, and I believe it was only relatively recently at Bristol someone was killed by one. But provided staff and visitors equally are neither complacent nor incompetent, they are hilariously docile. There have been no incidents in the UK as far as I am aware since the one at Bristol. If you fall into a tapir exhibit, it's not going to be death by a thousand trunks. But they are, quite correctly, labelled as dangerous animals.

Any animal is dangerous if not correctly dealt with. But equally, many dangerous animals pose no threat if handled correctly.

Edit: Should have double checked before posting - I'm conflating several events. The original article by Darren Naish I originally read this all on is here (I stupidly searched for it on the Tetzoo site)

Tapir attacks past, present, but hopefully not future

A keeper lost an arm at Oklahoma City zoo while feeding a mother tapir with a calf. A similar incident resulted in a broken arm at a Japanese zoo, and at Bristol a keeper was bitten on the arm through bars while feeding a tapir. The most recent was a 2-year-old bitten during a feeding encounter at Dublin Zoo. All involved calves. Tapirs without calves are still, however, referred to as dangerous animals.
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I was not campaigning for anything - and just because someone disagrees with you there is no need to make false statements.
But as you say the tapir position is an interesting one as all species are STILL listed as Hazardous category 1 animals, which states categorically that - 'Contact between the public and animals in category 1 is likely to cause serious injury or be a serious threat to life, irrespective of the age or vulnerability of the visitor'
I really dont see how this can be described as pointless red tape being removed, or given the very clear statement by the Government above, just how the zoos that do this can get around (or ignore?) this legislation.
But - we must wait for only a little longer, as the new UK Zoo standards are being published tomorrow, with just two years for all zoos to comply. Some shake-ups may be coming...
 
Found this set of zoo standards from 2021 (which was for consultation - so is it the same as the one being published tomorrow? Who knows?) which does list tapir as '1', although also zebra and giraffe (and I've seen keepers at Whipsnade in with them with no protection) but capybara as '2' so there's clearly some shifting going on.

There are a LOT listed as '1'!

https://www.bva.co.uk/media/4485/standards-of-modern-zoo-practice-for-great-britain.pdf
 
Visit today. Nothing major to report. The baby zebra is adorable, although its big brother looks most put out! Also v cute: the baby yak, and the tufted deer (who were just scuttling along the fenceline furthest from the path to the monkey section).

One blesbok was confined to the house - the one with the capped horns if that means anything to anyone.

And finally caught a glimpse of the porcupettes!
 
Oh hang on, there was one thing: there seems to be an extra glass viewing area round by the anoa/macaques. We spent so long staring at it trying to remember if it was new or not - we still think 'yes'.

If you're coming from the langur end, it was for the first paddock the anoa can be in. I swear it wasn't there last week.
 
JoB198 said:
Oh hang on, there was one thing: there seems to be an extra glass viewing area round by the anoa/macaques. We spent so long staring at it trying to remember if it was new or not - we still think 'yes'.

If you're coming from the langur end, it was for the first paddock the anoa can be in. I swear it wasn't there last week.
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Pretty sure they haven't done anymore work down there lately , can't say I saw I new window when Iast went last week.
The 1st window you come to should be the big one overlooking the Anoa cattle.
 
rhinofan12 said:
Pretty sure they haven't done anymore work down there lately , can't say I saw I new window when Iast went last week.
The 1st window you come to should be the big one overlooking the Anoa cattle.
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Must just have never noticed it then. Always felt like that was just fencing along there. Weird.
 
One thing I forgot to mention, when I was talking to one of the keepers about the baby zebra he was saying they hope to bring the numbers back up to at least 7 or 8, if this is the case I'm sure they would be back mixing in the larger field with the waterbuck.
 
They do keep pushing the fact that Grevy's zebra like to live alone in education talks, though, so they'd need to backtrack on that narrative.

That said, the volunteer I spoke to on Saturday, when I asked if they knew whether the baby was male or female, said they weren't sure but suspected male which was disappointing as they wanted a female.
 
JoB198 said:
That said, the volunteer I spoke to on Saturday, when I asked if they knew whether the baby was male or female, said they weren't sure but suspected male which was disappointing as they wanted a female.
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How strange as the keeper I spoke to thought it was a female, guess we will know soon enough.
 
Was at the zoo today and I think we heard the keeper say it’s another boy zebra ! But he is doing well
The hunting dog has come from Berlin zoo Svedi I think ( apology for spelling) is his name and he is around 3-4yr old and so now they are hunting for female hunting dogs to join him and have babies!
Elephants were separated but Beth kept on putting her trunk over the fence reaching for Nang Phai and even Donna was using her trunk to touch Beth before we left.. which was quite sad to see .. since they will be separated soon.
Saw most other animals couldn’t find anyone to ask about the Gemsbok birth!
 
Pertinax said:
Don'r understand why there is doubt about the sex, equines are really easy to sex almost from birth.
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You cant put a head-collar and lead on the mother and have a quick 'feel' of the foal..
Even some domestic mares and donkey jennies are dangerously protective. If the zebra mare wanted to keep it close and hidden, keepers would have to bide their time.
 
I don't think that I will be able to get to Whipsnade for quite a while, so may I ask a favour from anyone who does visit in the meantime: that they ask a keeper if they know what the plans for the capybara will be, and if they indeed are going in the former hippo space?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
Kalaw said:
I don't think that I will be able to get to Whipsnade for quite a while, so may I ask a favour from anyone who does visit in the meantime: that they ask a keeper if they know what the plans for the capybara will be, and if they indeed are going in the former hippo space?

Thanks in advance. :)
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Just to add to this...can someone ask about the gaur as well :D
 
Kalaw said:
I don't think that I will be able to get to Whipsnade for quite a while, so may I ask a favour from anyone who does visit in the meantime: that they ask a keeper if they know what the plans for the capybara will be, and if they indeed are going in the former hippo space?

Thanks in advance. :)
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Good point. To add it may be useful to ask if there are any further plans to do a mix with tapir in the future if they are indeed moving to the Common Hippo enclosure. If it does end up as a Lowland tapir/Capybara mix, I think that would be a pretty suitable replacement for the hippos given the situation, and make good use of the facilities available. This being rather than the disappointment that Capybara alone being placed into the Common hippo housing and paddocks would be to many people.
 
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