Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg The Magdeburg Adventures Of A Tea-Loving Dave - 5 April 2014

As the recently-posted Aquarium writeup in my main trip thread was giving me so much trouble, and in light of the quoted message by chizlit, I am going to try shaking things up a little: I will begin writing and posting my account of Zoo Magdeburg in this new thread, as I have already written much of this account through the copious notes I took as I went around the collection. This will serve two purposes: firstly, it will get me back into the flow of writing and hopefully snap me out of my writers block. Secondly, it will allow me to provide chizlit with as much advice and information as possible before they visit Magdeburg themselves.

I will then cross-post the Magdeburg posts into the original thread upon my completion of my account of Zoo Berlin, so that my account in this thread remains in chronological order.

 

Part I: Journey to Zoo Magdeburg.

The night prior to visiting Zoo Magdeburg, myself and Hel made our way to Berlin Hauptbahnhof with Chris and Ang. This served a number of purposes. Firstly, Chris and Ang had expressed a desire to visit Magdeburg with us, which meant that taking advantage of the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket which we had been informed about prior to our trip would be the best option. This ticket, available only on weekends, costs 44 euro and is valid for up to 5 individuals, allowing those using the ticket an unlimited amount of travel on the regional Deutsche-Bahn services for 24 hours. As such, we wanted to discuss this option to ensure that the aforementioned pair still wished to visit Magdeburg before we bought the ticket. At the same time as I used the ticket machines to purchase the Schönes-Wochenende, I showed Chris and Ang how to use the machines in order to purchase advance train tickets. This meant that they were able to buy advance train tickets to Leipzig for the forthcoming Monday, when they planned to accompany Hel and myself to the zoo there.



The other purpose of our coming to the Hauptbahnhof with Chris and Ang was to perform a "dry run" locating and making our way to the train platform both for the trip to Magdeburg, but also for the trip to Leipzig. This was important as the trains we intended to catch for both days were departing rather early in the morning, and so knowing where they were located would prove advantageous to ensure we caught the trains on time. This was, of course, somewhat more of a consideration for Chris and Ang, as the former individual especially is somewhat loath to use trains and public transport, and historically is seldom on time

On the Saturday morning, Hel and myself rose at about 5.30am, taking the opportunity to eat some snacks we had picked up for breakfast the previous night before making our way from the hostel to Senefelderplatz. There, we caught the U2 line to Alexanderplatz, where we changed for a S75 service to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof. We reached the platform where our train to Magdeburg was to depart from in good time, and eventually were joined by Chris and Ang. After a few choice jokes about how strange it must have felt for Chris to be punctual, we started discussing the plan for reaching the zoo. I had worked out that although tram services were available from Magdeburg-Hauptbahnhof which would take us close to the entrance of the zoo, the timetable for these services meant that it would prove much more sensible to disembark from our train one stop beforehand, at Magdeburg-Neustadt, and walk the 2 kilometres to the zoo.

The train we caught set off from Berlin at 07:11, and was a direct regional stopping service which arrived at Magdeburg-Neustadt at 08:46. We were all rather pleasantly surprised to note that the train was a Bombardier Double-deck Coach, as none of the four of us had travelled on a multiple-storey train in the past. On arrival into Magdeburg, we found that we had chosen a fine, sunny and pleasant day, which rendered our walk to the zoo a rather enjoyable prospect. The area immediately surrounding Magdeburg-Neustadt station was unfortunately rather impoverished and in poor condition, but as we walked further onward we came to modern and well-kept suburban areas of the city, before ultimately crossing a main road and entering a pleasant and wooded park. After about 5 minutes of walking along the footpath of the park, we were met with our first sight of the entrance to Zoo Magdeburg, set within a large and rather attractive building.



The route we took on our journey to the zoo is shown below:



After paying for entry into the zoo at a kiosk on the side of the building, we briefly made our way into the building itself, which comprised the zoo shop, a cafe and a selection of small tanks holding a few choice species. The first, which immediately grabbed my attention, was a tank holding Golden Spiny Mouse (Acomys russatus), a species which I had previously never seen and which struck me as rather different in appearance to all the Acomys taxa I had seen up until that point in time. In the neighbouring tank there were a group of Tropical Girdled Lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum) and Common Flat Lizard (Platysaurus intermedius), the latter of which represented yet another life tick for Hel and myself. Also displayed in tanks in this area were Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), Horsfield’s Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) and Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor).





As we made our way into the zoo itself, the first enclosure we came to - built next to the entrance building - was a large if run-of-the-mill enclosure for Meerkat (Suricata suricatta), before we made our way along the footpath through a few acres of parkland before reaching the main body of the zoo. It was apparent that the footplan of the zoo has somewhat increased over the years, and that the site of the meerkat enclosure and entrance building lay some distance from where the original entry to the zoo had been.

(Attached are an image of my Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket, a photograph of the zoo entrance, signposting for the Golden Spiny Mouse, and signposting for the Girdled Lizard and Flat Lizard)

 

Note: as this collection is much less often visited than the other collections I saw on my trip, I will be aiming to post about every enclosure at Zoo Magdeburg; this will require a higher number of shorter posts in order that I can attach images for as many enclosures as possible.

 

Part II: Enclosures from Tufted Deer to Marbled Polecat

The westernmost side of the main body of the zoo - along which we were heading northwards - extended closer to the entrance than the rest of the collection; as such we started making our way around the zoo starting from this point, heading northwards.

As we did so, the first enclosure the four of us reached was a mixed exhibit, holding Michie's Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus michianus), Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) and Goosander (Mergus merganser). The exhibit comprised a relatively large paddock which had, quite obviously, been constructed around the trees which had already been present in the parkland prior to the zoo being constructed. This paddock provided several places for the deer within to hide from the public and shelter; these were wooden and artificially constructed, but covered in natural foliage and felled branches and twigs. The two duck species were found in a moat separating the deer paddock from the public path; this moat is fed by one of the many streams flowing through the park which feed the Schrode as it flows alongside the park, northwards to where it joins the Elbe. The enclosure struck me as a simple and very attractive one, helped by the aforementioned attempts to make the paddock fit with the pre-existing feel of the surrounding parkland.



Opposite the paddock, across a small lawn, there was a relatively large enclosure comprising a mixture of felled and living trees, rockwork and pebble-gardening, surrounded by fine mesh and backing onto part of the viewing complex for another enclosure. This former enclosure held an unusual but rather good species-mix; a pair of Temminck's Tragopan (Tragopan temminckii) and a group of Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei). The squirrels were, as this species tends to be, incredibly active and rather hard to photograph - however the highlight was without a doubt the fact that as the four of us watched, the male tragopan inflated his lappet and horns and started to display to the female with a high level of vigour; something which I had never actually seen in person up until that point in time, although I had seen video and photographs of it occurring.



Further on from this enclosure, and running behind it, were two different routes leading to positions from which to view the Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) enclosure; the path which led to the right directly behind the tragopan aviary was a ground level viewing window, which looked directly into the covered shelter where a single tiger was laid asleep, whilst the path leading to the left ascended a wooden viewing structure which allowed for a comprehensive view of the entire enclosure. The enclosure was relatively large and thickly planted, again making the most of the vegetation which had already been in the parkland; the centrepoint of the enclosure was the stump of a large tree, the rest of which appeared to have been partially used for construction of the enclosure. Although, as noted, the inhabitant of the enclosure was asleep when we viewed it, I felt the enclosure was very good for the species; certainly I was pleasantly surprised considering how little information I had heard about the collection before the visit.



As we continued along the path beyond the tiger enclosure, the next enclosure we reached was a twin enclosure for a species which the four of us particularly hoped to see; the Marbled Polecat (Vormela peregusna). This exhibit comprised two mid-size enclosures set in a buttress of rockwork, each rather effectively emulating the species natural habitat of steppe, scrub and semi-arid upland areas, and with artificial tunnels connecting the two. It was also very obvious that the inhabitants had created a system of natural tunnels within the enclosure.



As some may have gathered in the past, my taste in animal species is already somewhat biased towards small carnivores, but this particular taxon - as a member of the particularly unusual Galictine lineage of mustelids - is one of my favorite animal species. We had, of course, seen the species in the past when it was displayed at Edinburgh Zoo, but had been able only to get brief glimpses in thickly-planted enclosures. Moreover, the species has all but disappeared from UK collections in recent years. As such, we hoped to be presented with the chance to observe the species for a little longer than previous opportunities. When we reached the enclosure, we noted with interest a sign which stated that the species was - as we already knew - highly reclusive, but also told the visitor that the individuals on display at Magdeburg tended to be particularly active between approximately 10:00 and 11:30. As such, we resolved to continue to make our way around the collection for another half-hour or so before returning to the Marbled Polecat enclosure.

(Enclosed are photographs of the Tufted Deer enclosure, the Temminck's Tragopan aviary, the Amur Tiger enclosure, and the two Marbled Polecat enclosures)

 

Not a clue; I paid with cash

It is worth noting, incidentally, that there is an equivalent ticket to the Schones-Wochenende ticket which is valid on weekdays - I believe this one is 44 euro but with a 7 euro supplement for each additional person travelling. The restriction to regional trains still applies however. As such I suspect you may want to look into that.

 

Part III: Enclosures from Horsfield's Tortoise to Dhole

Just opposite the Marbled Polecat enclosure was the summer enclosure for the Horsfield's Tortoise which we had seen in the entrance complex, and as such the enclosure was vacant. The enclosure - although nothing special - was quite pleasant, comprising a small greenhouse surrounded by a mixture of vegetated and bare ground, and with various rocks and stones placed around the area.



A little further along the path from the Marbled Polecat enclosure was a large enclosure which held a mixture of non-subspecific Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena), all of which were female, and a single male East African Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena dubbah). The enclosure comprised a large paddock which was designed to match a semi-desert scrub habitat, with rocky outcroppings scattered around the enclosure concealing areas for the inhabitants to shelter and hide. At the far edges of the enclosure were a number of large holding cages, through which we were able to see one of the non-subspecific females. A short period of observation made it rather clear that the individual in the enclosure at the time we were present was the East African individual, which looked rather different in colouration and pelage when compared to individuals we had seen in the past. We rather enjoyed observing this male hyena, which was both highly visible and active and, as noted previously, looked somewhat unusual.



Opposite the hyena enclosure was a large enclosure for Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia); another enclosure which had made the most of the large amount of vegetation which had naturally been found on the site through preservation of the largest trees, felling of smaller trees and use of the timber to construct shelters. This was supplemented by a substantial amount of rockwork, and the enclosure was surrounded by stone walls through which were viewing windows. As was rapidly becoming the trend as far as my impressions of this collection went, I was seriously impressed with this enclosure; it gave plenty of opportunity for the animals within to move around, climb and if need be, hide from the public. At the same time, it was good to look at as a construction in its own right, with a particularly good stone wall frontage which had a statue of a snow leopard climbing down it.





A little further along we came to a large and rather good enclosure for a group of Chinese Dhole (Cuon alpinus lepturus), which unusually for this species were somewhat inactive in the steadily-increasing heat of the day; in retrospect this may well have been connected with the fact a litter of pups have been born at Magdeburg since my visit to the collection. The enclosure was very much like the Hyena enclosure in style and construction, although I did wonder whether it is usually as barren and muddy as it appeared to be on my visit - it is entirely possible that any vegetation could have been killed off over the winter. Nonetheless, I felt the enclosure suited the species even if it would be classed as relatively basic by the standards of larger and more popular collections.



One rather subtle detail which very much pleased me was the signage for the enclosure; as was the case with the others we had seen thus far at Magdeburg, the enclosure labels were of a very high standard giving a detailed account of what the species held in the enclosure was. However, this particular enclosure went the extra mile, as it were, also including a detailed poster making it clear that despite the morphological similarities, the Dhole were not a kind of Red Fox, moreover displaying the various diagnostic differences between the two taxa.



We next made our way towards the area of the zoo holding the Tapir House.

(Enclosed are photographs of the tortoise enclosure, the Striped Hyena enclosure, the Snow Leopard enclosure and frontage, the Dhole enclosure, and an educational signpost at the Dhole enclosure regarding the difference between this taxon and Red Fox)

 

Part IV: Tapir Enclosure and Parrot Aviaries

As we did not have much time before we wanted to return to the Marbled Polecat enclosure, we decided we would investigate the parrot and callitrichid enclosures which were opposite the Tapir House. As we made our way to the enclosures, we passed one side of the large outdoor paddock for the South American Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), which was also signposted as holding Ring-tailed Coati (Nasua nasua). Neither of the species in question were visible from where the four of us were viewing the enclosure, but as we intended to view both the enclosure and the adjoining house at length later this was of little concern to us.



The enclosure was rather large and very thickly planted, and much like many of the enclosures we had seen thus far at Magdeburg contained a number of mature trees which may well have been in-situ when the zoo was originally constructed. This high level of vegetation, of course, would be very good for the coati living within the enclosure. Moreover, the portion of the enclosure closest to the border fencing and walls descended down steps into a concrete area which - although dry when we visited - looked like it was used as a pool for the tapirs. Overall, my first impression of the enclosure was that it was of a high standard, likely achieved at a relatively low cost, and one which would suit both of the species it held.

The parrot and callitrichid area opposite the Tapir House itself comprised a small cul-de-sac with a row of parrot aviaries and a row of callitrichid enclosures facing one another, with a small landscaped stream dividing the two. All the parrot aviaries appeared to include substantial offshow sleeping quarters for the animals found within. The first, and largest, of the parrot aviaries held a pair of Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), a species which i have always been rather fond of. The cage contained many logs and other potential perches for the parrots, along with a small amount of rockwork, and at an estimate was approximately 12' x 20' x 8' - not the largest enclosure I have seen for Hyacinth Macaw, but certainly large enough to suit the species in my opinion; the following aviaries were each approximately half the size.



The next enclosure held Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and Greenish Acouchy (Myoprocta pratti), and was somewhat similar in design to the Hyacinth Macaw enclosure with one notable difference; the rockwork and vegetation on the ground was somewhat thicker, presumably for the benefit of the Acouchy, with hollow logs provided for shelter. The latter species is one which had until very recently been entirely new to me, as I had first seen it at Zoo Berlin only a day prior, and as such was of some interest to me.



The neighbouring enclosure was again very similar, albeit even more thickly planted, and held a combination of Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) and Giant Wood Rail (Aramides ypecaha). Both of these enclosures, although holding species which barring the acouchy are commonplace in the UK and thus very familiar to me, were nonetheless enjoyed due to their attractive, neat and well-presented format.

The next enclosure was of great interest to all four of us due to the species held within; a combination of Blue-headed Macaw (Primolius couloni) and Tataupa Tinamou (Crypturellus tataupa). The former species, although not entirely new to us, was one which we had seldom been able to see as a result of the animals at Chester Zoo being held offshow, visible only at a distance with some luck. The latter taxon, however, was indeed entirely new to all four of us and, in point of fact, marked the first tinamou that myself and Hel had ever seen. This rather pleased us, as we had hoped to see a member of this unusual paleognath group for some time, all such species having disappeared from public collections in the UK over the course of the last decade. The enclosure itself was rather akin to its neighbours, albeit with the inclusion of a small rock-lined pond for the use of the tinamou.



The final enclosure in this row was again similar in design, but with more focus given to terrestrial design, with small logs and tree trunks laid on the ground, and another small pond in among rockwork. Naturally, a large amount of higher perching points were also provided. This enclosure held a mix of Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira), Lilacine Amazon (Amazona autumnalis lilacina) and Gambel's Quail (Lophortyx gambelii), the lattermost of which represented a rather attractive and active lifetick.



This mix, as with all the species combinations in this row of enclosures, seemed to work rather well, with all species appearing to interact well and without conflict.

(Attached are images of the Tapir enclosure, the Hyacinth Macaw enclosure, the Scarlet Macaw and Acouchy enclosure, the Blue-headed Macaw and Tataupa Tinamou enclosure, the Guira Cuckoo, Lilacine Amazon and Gambel's Quail enclosure, and a photo of a Gambel's Quail)

 

Gambel's quail are nice little things aren't they? They are like a Californian quail and yet completely different. I just saw my first ones at Jurong Bird Park (of all unexpected places) last month.

 

Rest assured the macaw aviary was in no risk of being crushed by a dwarf!

 

Part V: Callitrichids and Marbled Polecat

Opposite the parrot aviaries were a row of enclosures which held a variety of callitrichid taxa. The first of these enclosures held a group of Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), and was thickly planted with vegetation on the ground, with a variety of trees and branches provided for the animals within to climb and move between. This enclosure was reasonably large for a callitrichid enclosure, and the inhabitants were extremely visible and active.



The next enclosure, although somewhat smaller than the prior enclosure, was rather more thickly planted with vegetation and contained Red-Bellied Tamarin (Saguinus labiatus) - however, the enclosure was still entirely suitable for the purpose of holding this species as far as I could tell, as there was a high level of climbing opportunity provided for the animals within.



The neighbouring enclosure, which held a group of Cotton-Top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) mixed with Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla), was of a similar size to the first enclosure. However, significantly more branches and logs were placed throughout this enclosure when compared to the lion tamarin enclosure; something which was presumably done for the benefit of the tamandua which lived in the enclosure. It was not possible, unfortunately, to gauge how successful this species combination was, as neither species were visible at this point in time. However, in terms of design I would expect this enclosure would have suited both species, when previous experience viewing these taxa in a variety of collections was borne in mind - plenty of climbing opportunities and space was provided, and when one considers how shy both species tend to be, the fact that there was a large amount of vegetation provided which could be used to shelter from the public was a good sign.



The final enclosure in this row of callitrichid enclosures held a large and highly active breeding group of Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor) - a species which although present in UK collections in some numbers is often difficult to see due to how shy and reclusive they can be, even by the standards of members of the Saguinus genus. As such the four of us particularly enjoyed the chance to view the species with such ease and over such a prolonged period of time, and were pleased to note the presence of an infant among the group. The enclosure itself was rather akin to the first of the callitrichid enclosures discussed, both in the design and size, albeit with possibly the least vegetation of the four enclosures.



We were aware of two further callitrichid enclosures around the corner, directly opposite the entrance to the Tapir House, but as it was approaching the optimum time for viewing the Marbled Polecat we elected to make our way back to the latter area. This was, it transpired, an excellent choice; within about 10 minutes of our return to the Marbled Polecat exhibit Hel spotted first one individual, and then another, carefully examining their surroundings with their heads emerging from a burrow in the left of the two enclosures. Soon afterward, both animals emerged fully and started to constantly run around both enclosures, crossing from one to another through the connecting tunnels, and periodically pausing to periscope and survey their surroundings and - it became rapidly clear - paying particular attention to us, something which permitted us to take a great deal of photographs and video. These individuals were particularly fine-looking examples of the species, displaying the mixture of black, brown, white and golden markings which grant them their name.



As previously noted, although we had all previously seen this species in the UK, we had until now never viewed them for as prolonged a period as this; for this reason, as well as the status the species holds in my heart as one of my personal favorites and the rapidly declining captive population in Europe, we elected to stay at the enclosure for a while, making the most of what I fear may well be the final time I am able to see the species.



Ultimately, we remained at the Marbled Polecat enclosure for a shade under an hour, during which time both animals remained constantly visible and active - with at least 50% of this activity comprising regular and vigorous mating; something which would have been much less bittersweet were it not for the fact both individuals are, I believe, somewhat elderly and almost certainly beyond any successful breeding. Eventually, the four of us summoned up enough self-control to voluntarily leave the enclosure and make our way to the Tapir House.

(Enclosed are images of the Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin enclosure, the Red-Bellied Tamarin enclosure, the Cottontop Tamarin enclosure, the Pied Tamarin enclosure, and two photographs of Marbled Polecat)

 

Part VI: Tapir House

Before entering the tapir house, we took the opportunity to have a look at the two enclosures opposite the entrance which we had previously omitted. The first of the two enclosures, which held Bearded Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator subgrisescens), was very much akin to the other callitrichid exhibits in both size and the quantity of climbing opportunities provided, but greatly surpassed them in terms of the level of vegetation provided. This appeared to have paid dividends, as the animals held within were highly active and seemed entirely relaxed with being on display.



The second of the two enclosures, which was somewhat larger, differed from the other enclosures in this area in one major regard; rather than holding a species of callitrichid, it held a closely related form of New World primate, the White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia). Other than this, the enclosure was of a similar design and format to the callitrichid enclosures in this area, and of equally high quality in my opinion.



As we entered the tapir house, we noted that the interior was thickly planted with vegetation and contained a number of free-flying bird species. Three of these were signposted; Venezuelan Blue-throated Piping-guan (Pipile cumanensis cumanensis), Blue Ground-dove (Claravis pretiosa) and Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias). Of these, the most visible and active were the ground-doves - a species which until my visit to Tierpark Berlin two days prior I had never seen, and which I still thoroughly enjoyed being able to observe. Although the main focus of the interior of the house was naturally the tapir enclosure, there were also a number of smaller enclosures and vivariums dotted around the public path through the house.

The first of these enclosures held a very interesting invertebrate species, albeit one which I would imagine many visitors would overlook; the Golden-Eyed Stick Insect (Peruphasma schultei). Although rapidly becoming common in private hands, this species is still relatively unknown in public collections - something which I suspect may rapidly change when the size and striking appearance of the taxon, which was first discovered in 2005, is taken into account. The enclosure was relatively small but well-planted, but looked like it had recently been put in place - as such I suspect this exhibit will be improved given time for the vegetation and inhabitants to settle in. A similar enclosure nearby contained Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi).



The neighbouring enclosure held a mixture of Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) and Marañón Poison Frog (Excidobates mysteriosus) - the former of which was unlabelled. The enclosure was very much similar to many other dendrobatid enclosures which we had seen in the past, but had no flaws which we could remark upon. As Chris and Ang have a particular affinity for amphibians, and the Marañón is a particularly unusual species of dendrobatid in both appearance and scarcity in captive hands, we spent some time examining this enclosure.



For this reason, we were also extremely interested to observe the presence of a vivarium for a pair of Rococo Toad (Rhinella schneideri), a species of amphibian which is entirely absent from public collections within the UK. The exhibit primarily comprised stonework and sand, with a small pool for the inhabitants, and was rather sizeable; as one would expect for a toad which is one of the largest extant anuran taxa.



As previously noted, the main body of the tapir house was given over to the indoor enclosure for the South American Tapir held by the collection, which we had failed to see when passing one portion of their external enclosure. This enclosure was almost certainly the best indoor enclosure for the species I had ever seen, and in point of fact rivalled many external enclosures I have seen through the years. The enclosure, which was surrounded by rather natural-looking rockwork and a substantial moat which contained aquatic vegetation, gave the inhabitants a large amount of space with a number of pools built into the enclosure for the tapirs with multiple trees and other plants improving the general appearance of the whole. Overall, as one may be able to deduce, I was rather impressed with the tapir house as a whole.



Once we had finished viewing the interior of the tapir house, we were presented with two possible courses of action. One possibility was to leave the tapir house through the alternate exit to the one through which we had entered, which would take us along the far side of the external tapir enclosure towards the lemur and anteater enclosures. The other option was to leave the way we had entered and make our way towards the zoo restaurant via the rhinoceros house - an option which the four of us decided was the better of the two.

(Enclosed are images of the Emperor Tamarin enclosure, the White-faced Saki enclosure, the poison dart frog enclosure, the tarantula enclosure, the Rococo Toad enclosure and the South American Tapir enclosure)

 

They are held along the path exiting the tapir house which I mentioned leading to the lemurs and anteater - which as it runs next to the tapir enclosure may well be the enclosure you mean. In this case, you have gotten slightly confused about where the saki enclosure I described was, as this is opposite the *other* door to the tapir enclosure.

In any case I will discuss *that* enclosure in chronological order of my visit, in a little while. For reference, I've quickly edited a map of Magdeburg to show the route through the zoo I have discussed thus far, with a purple star to note where the saki enclosure is and a black star to note where the black lion tamarins are.

 

Part VII: Maguari Stork to Rhino House Interior

On the way to the rhinoceros house, we passed a sizeable paddock which held a pair of Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari) - another species which until recently we had never seen, due to their complete absence from UK collections, but which we had seen the day previously at Zoo Berlin. As with many of the larger enclosures at Mageburg, this enclosure contained a number of large mature trees which may well have been present prior to the collection opening - certainly the enclosure had been built to accomodate them, as they blended in well with the overall feel of the exhibit. The enclosure was quite open, with a number of large felled tree-trunks laid around the paddock.



Immediately outside the rhinoceros house, we came to a mid-size pit enclosure holding a mixture of Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) and Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris); the enclosure did a rather good job of emulating the natural arid glassland habitat of both species, comprising a large amount of rockwork, sandy scrub and wood. I was rather pleased to see this enclosure, as the latter inhabitants were very active and represented yet another lifetick species.



The interior of the rhinoceros house was consistently themed with rockwork and thick vegetation, presumably with the intention of giving the house the overall appearance and feel of the south-east African habitat of the species held within. This theming was carried over to each of the individual exhibits within the house, much as it was for the mixed mongoose and squirrel enclosure outside. For example, just opposite the entrance to the house we came across a glass-fronted enclosure which held a mixture of Blue Rainbow Lizard (Agama lionotus) and African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus). This enclosure comprised a rock overhang over a set of shallow pools with dead wood and vegetation dotted around the enclosure, with both species held within being relatively visible.



The majority of the interior was devoted to a large indoor paddock for Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli), which at the time we were in the house was not in use. It comprised two large sandy areas, with a bare rocky passage connecting the two. A large spur extended out between the two, containing a large amount of vegetation including a number of small trees - where this spur met the joining passage, there were a row of depressions on the ground where dividing poles would be able to be erected in order to separate animals, were this necessary. Between the public path and the rhinoceros enclosure, there were rock walls and a number of thickly-planted plant beds, further adding to the overall high-quality feel of the house as a whole.





Close to the mid-line of the house, the rock wall dividing the rhinoceros enclosure from the public area increased in height and the plant beds were replaced by another pit enclosure akin to the one outside the house, and like said enclosure holding Dwarf Mongoose and Cape Ground Squirrel - in fact, although we were unable to view the enclosure at such an angle to be certain, we rather suspected there was a tunnel joining the two enclosures. Like the external enclosure, the exhibit displayed a large amount of stonework and sandy scrub flooring - again fitting with the overall theme of place and habitat adopted by the rhinoceros house.



(Enclosed are images of the Maguari Stork enclosure, the outdoor squirrel and mongoose enclosure, the agama and bullfrog enclosure, two views of the rhinoceros enclosure and the indoor squirrel and mongoose enclosure)