If You are interested here You can read some short news from Budapest Zoo: Sumatran orangutans and Western lowland gorillas received their new outdoor enclosures in the end of April. A male Komodo dragon (called Irwin, after Steve Irwin) arrived at the end of April. He was born at Chester Zoo in the 15th of January in 2007. The new Savanna Exhibit (or Savann-complex) was officially opened at the end of May. Unfortunately the Budapest Zoo is one of the smallest European capital zoos, so consiquently this new area is only about 0,5 hectare. This Savanna area consists of a main mixed exhibit and several smaller enclosures. The mixed exhibit houses the following species: Rothschild giraffes, Nile lechwes, Mhorr Gazelles (these species of lechwe and gazelle have never been exhibited in Hungary earlier), Ostriches, Helmeted guineafowls, Vulturine guineafowls and White storks. There are separated enclosures for the Southern white rhinos:the female Lulu, who is the mother of Layla, the world’s first rhino calf was born through artificial insemination, and the male Easy Boy. It’s worth to mention that Lulu is pregnant again, the second succesful insemination was taken in 14th of June in 2007. Other mammal species are exhibited in the savanna area: Meerkats, Yellow mongooses, Cairo spiny mouses and Greater egyptian jerboas. There are exhibited six bird and three reptile species, and additionaly 21 invertebrata species, here are the scientific names of them: Arachnids: Pandinus imperator, Nephila sp., Damon sp., Insects: Ampulex compressa, Pachnoda aemula, Pachnoda flaviventris, Pachnoda marginata marginata and P. m. peregrina, Eudicella smithi, Eudicella aethiopica, Eudicella woermani, Mecynorrhina ugandensis, Mecynorrhina obertueri, Smaragdesces africana oertzeni, Platymeris biguttata, Sipyloidea sipylus, Locusta migratoria, Schistocerca gregaria, Gryllus bimaculatus, Phaeophilacris bredoides, Periplaneta americana, Gromphadorrhina oblongonata. A Butterfly Garden was opened at the 5th of June. This is a 260 square metres (and 1200 cubic metres) walk-through exhibit, where You can walk among 45 butterly species (approx. 600 specimens). This is a seasonal exhibit in every summer (about for three months) since 2000. The renovation of the Big Rock will be finished soon and further new species will arrive to this area, for example Dholes and Sloth bears.
Is Budapest Zoo the zoo with that big historical elephant house with a tower or is that somewhere else?
Yes, it is, if You interested You can see a picture and a short description of that in my gallery: The Elephant House - Photo Gallery
@Orycteropus: great photo of the elephant house, but as you say the outdoor enclosure appears to be the usual terrible habitat for such large mammals. Do you know how much space the elephants have? Is their indoor area also very small?
@ snowleopard: Yes, the current elephant paddock which You can see in the picture is not too large, approx. between 1500-2000 square metres, and it can be separated on the middle if necessary. The indoor animal holding areas for the elphants are also very small. This is a historical building and it is under protection of monuments, so any radical changes on that is not licensed. But now I should complete my first reply with some good news connecting with this theme. The new Savanna exhibit what I mentioned is next to this historical Elephant House, and now there is a new large building, the Elephant Hall, which contains larger interior exhibits for the elephants, and the outdoor enclosure also increased a bit. So the elephants have two buildings currently, because the zoo plan to hold more elephants (currently keeps two middleaged females only). The further individulas (also a bull) will arrive in September. Certainly the Asian elephants don’t perfectly fit to this Africa theme, but Budapest Zoo has a long history and lots of experience with this species so the zoo doesn’t plan to change them to the African relatives. Hopefully I will visit the zoo at the end of this week, so I upload some new pics about this developments soon.
Plse could you tell us, which elephants and how many will join Hella and Zitta? And some more details of the new hall: is there sand and a free moving area inside?
@ Sitara: Sorry, currently I haven't got information about how many individuals will arrive. The new hall: yes, there is a free moving area indside, without sand at present. But this area of the zoo is not entirely finished, so there will be some changes I think (f.e. Hella and Zitta hadn't been tested the new hall yet). I will upload some pics about that to the Budapest Zoo's gallery soon.
What about future plans for the other pachyderms? Will the enlarge the white rhino group and finally start keeping them in a herd situation to perhaps stimulate natural breeding?
@ jelle: The Southern whites at Budapest Zoo (M Easy Boy, b. 29/7/1979 at Longleat Safari Park, F Lulu b. around in 1980 in Natal, South Africa, and their AI calf F Layla b. 23/1/ 2007, Easy Boy x Lulu) had have a new enclosure just a short time ago, but this area is not enough to hold a larger group of the species. This pair lived there at Budapest Zoo together since 1983 when they were very young, so sexual interesting have never been set up between them. The professional work in regard of their reproductive biology and the preparation of the AI had began in 2001 already. Currently the second AI calf is on the way which probably will born in the end of this year. But I think You know the details. So Budapest Zoo is currently on the ’artificial’ way to breeding White rhinos … About the natural breeding situation: Layla remain at Budapest, so when she reach the sexual maturity Easy Boy will be changed for another bull, but currently this is a long-range plan …
Hi monkeyworld, here You can find the answer: Sumatran orangutan enclosure @ Budapest Zoo » ZooBeat Photo Gallery
Hi! Yes, and this rhino baby is the second calf in Budapest Zoo, who born after artificial insemination, and the first in the world, who came from deep-freezing sperm. So, the calfs dad is living in Colchester, UK, about 1700 km from Budapest... ) And you can see the calf with his mom on a webcam: F?városi Állat- és Növénykert | Orrszarvú kamera
BABY LISIMBA 2009. January 15. Our little southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) baby boy born October 2008 was given the name Lisimba by visitors who have participated in the zoo’s voting game.
After eight years I would like to visit Budapest zoo this year, may be in May or June. I am very happy to hear about new Savanna exhibit and Big rock renovation. Could you write please if there are some news for this season? And which not common species are held there (I like especially ungulates, so I am happy to hear about Mhorr gazelle)? And if I understand well, the Butterfly exposition is full of butterflyes in June, Jule and August? Thank you
Hi cockroach, If You had not been at Budapest Zoo for eight years You will see lots of changes inside the zoo. Against the fact being a capital zoo Budapest does not house so many rare species. But the few last years Nile Lechwes and Mhorr Gazelles arrived to the new Savanna paddock, and two Gazelle calf were born in the recent past (a female on the 6th and a male calf on the 21st of April). The Dholes arrived as well and four offspring was born on the 18th of March. Unfortunately the Sloth Bears have not arrived, Syrian Brown Bears are on public display instead of them. I think the Butterfly Garden opens in June. When will You visit the zoo exactly?
Hi Orycteropus, thank you for news from Budapest. As you were talking about changes... that is the reason why I would like to go there. Mhorr gazelle or Acrochordus snake hunting fish would be great. I planned a trip to Budapest at 8th May but I didnt succed with my family . But we were in Wien Haus des Meeres The next chance for visit will be in July .
New mixed exhibit Establishing an unusual South-American mix is in process: Bush Dog and Brown-nosed Coati combination.
Short news A ’Guinea Pig City’ was founded by their inhabitants at Budapest Zoo in May 2009, of course, with help of zoo experts. This is literally a city, as the Guinea Pigs have their own Fire Brigade Station, Nursery, Delicatessen, etc. The 38 miniature buildings were created by Béla Mónus wood-carver artist, following plans by famous Hungarian architects Károly Kós (as well as several other hictoric building at Budapest Zoo), so this Liliputian town perfectly fit into the historical monument aggregation. Next to this small city a Guinea Pig Village was established for Giant Guinea Pigs. Some photos are here: F?városi Állat- és Növénykert | Várost alapítottak az állatkerti tengerimalacok The Butterfly Garden was opened again on the 5th of June. The Ring-tailed Lemur enclosure was transformed into a new walk-through exhibit in late June. The Kangaroo House was transformed into a new exhibit, called ’Venomous House’, which is one of the biggest exhibit of its kind in Europe at present. The new Komodo Dragon exhibit was established on the ground level of the building, and upstairs (which formerly was the nocturnal section of the zoo) 16 species of venomous snakes are on display at the moment. Budapest Zoo working as a breeding background and quarantine and rescue centre for venomous snakes as well. Other, non-venomous species, like Prevost’s Squirrels and Babirusas also on public display at downstairs. The new exhibit officially opened on the 26th of June 2009.
