I have to visit here now! It's on my list along with Antwerp and Planckendael; might try and work them all into a Belgian zoo trip.
As lots have been saying and predicting (including myself), young gorilla males Sango (born 2004 to Yaoundé and Moseka) and Lomako (born 2004 to Yaoundé and Virunga) have transferred from their natal zoo of La Vallee des Singes to Pairi Daiza to join Wazungu, Shomari and Dayo.
From the photos I've seen, this looks a pretty weird exhibit- I appreciate it is brand new and still very raw-looking though. But being a new design able to house 5 spare males works in its favour, whatever it looks like.
Does anyone know why the gorillas aren't going to be introduced/whether or not they ever will become one group?
Because some of the males are too old, and none of the enclosures is really suitable for a group of 5 males.
About a week ago a new species arrived at Pairi Daiza : 2 female Visayan warty pigs came from Amiens .
Yet another new arrival at Pairi Daiza - a pair of Palestine Mole-rat (Spalax ehrenbergi) https://www.facebook.com/JardinDesMondes/posts/1137090756357169
Also called the Northern Bog Lemming to my knowledge, the first to be held in a public collection within Europe.
Well, regarding the many zoos in western hemisphere who tried to get Golden Monkeys in the recent past and have failed, I have my doubts that Pairi Daiza (even with its money) will be more lucky. Still, I hope I'm wrong (and dreaming is not forbidden)
Rotterdam - Blijdorp tried at some point in the early 1990's and failed due to the fact that the golden monkey Rhinopithecus roxellanae conservation breeding program went thru a phase of re-arrangement and trying to save the numbers to make it sustainable - which did NOT allow for any surplus and hence transfer outside their own zoo region to Europe or USA (LA Zoo ... was the other example). As the numbers seem to have stabilised and even breeding of the 2/3 other Chinese Rhinopithecus species are starting to get some encouraging results, perhaps it is easier now to acquire the regular R. roxellanae. If and when, I do hope other zoos get on board and make an European out post CB program sustainable and viable (with sufficient facilities and interested zoo partners for breeding the species) . There is at least one other big name European facility - Praha Zoo - which is also interested in acquiring golden monkeys and has already signed a prospective loan agreement for them in August this year.
