1) From 07/12/2010 The transfer time of more than 40 animals of various species sourced in various Dutch zoos extended from planned 12 to 40 hours after encountering an accident-caused traffic jam in Germany. The transport was prepared for such conditions being a special insulated truck with temperature control. Despite the cold outside the temperature was maintained at a stable 18'C. All animals arrived in good health. http://lodz.wyborcza.pl/lodz/1,35136,8777944,Zapowiada_sie_piekna_wiosna__Nowe_zwierzeta_w_zoo.html Transfer brought: 1,0 Dikdik quickly placed with a female, first-time-in-the-zoo Cape Barren Gooses which are reported to accommodate well, Red-breasted Gooses, first-time-in-the-zoo Emperor Gooses, Common Shelducks, Ringed Teals, Common Goldeneyes, (rare, also Polish indigenous species) Some of the animals will remain in quarantine until temperatures get back above zero. "It is going to be a beautiful Spring." said director Ryszar Topola. 2. from 09 Feb 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35153,9081343,Nowosci_w_lodzkim_zoo__Oko_w_oko_z____motylem.html Opening of a new butterfly facility is planned in April. The rare in Polish zoos facility will allow visitors for direct unobstacled contact with butterflies. Facility will be equipped with an incubator which will allow to observe the imago transformation phase. Butterflies are planned to be shipped regularly while the tenders learn to care for and breed them on the spot. The interior should be reminiscent of jungle. It will have a little pond, various tropical plants grown especially for the new facility or contributed by citizens of Lodz city. There will be logs lying on the ground. Butterflies are expected to carry out "first test flights" in March as soon as the interior is ready. 3. from 11 Feb 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35153,9094651,Wiesci_z_zoo__Koniec_gwaltow_i_odbijania_partnerow.html Transfers: IN from "Germany": 0,0,15 Banggai cardinalfish (rare and beautiful) 0,3 Red-shouldered Macaw (gives a total of 5,5 present in the zoo) 4. 15 Feb 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35153,9112640,Lodzkie_zoo__nowe_zwierzeta_i_remonty_za_1_5_mln_zl.html City of Lodz is planning to spend about 1,5 mln zloty (~ €400'000) on conservation and facility refurbishment works in the zoo this year. Young Asiatic Lion male is due to arrive from London in the coming days. He will be soon complimented by female specimens. Together they are to replace a breeding-unsuccessful couple Subali & Tycia. [there already is one female specimens, Tycia] (arrived ~18.02.2011, name: Maximus, source: Mrówkojad i przyjaciele…) Other transfers mentioned: IN: Lion-tailed Macaques, IN: Crowned Pigeon, OUT to Warsaw: Patagonian Ara [the journalist must have confused Ara with Mara] OUT to Xerez, Spain: 1,0 Asiatic Lion, name: Subali Big part of the money will be consumed by works around the baboon pavilion - the used-to-be symbol of the zoo close to the main entrance. (works will include replacement of infrastructure, doors and windows, insulation, roof repairs, paving etc.) Zoo director, Ryszard Topola hopes to renovate giraffes pavilion [the floor is a constant issue - animals keep slipping - which as you know is dangerous] and old boar facility [indded in poor condition] too. Efforts to build a butterfly facility are underway. Changes in exposition including exposing birds and mammals together are planned. Works are financed from city budget and Regional Environment Preservation Fund. 5. from 05 Mar 2011 A probably yawning Snowy Owl: http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35136,9203852,Zwierzeta_z_lodzkiego_zoo__Co_ta_sowa_robi__Ziewa_.html
The index of the 2010 Yearbook of Polish Zoos is being edited in my dining room as I write so first hand information. Nothing has changed since I wrote. I should only correct that Subali didn't leave yet. But it is still on schedule. GRAND OPENING of the butterfly facility is scheduled for 21st of April!!! Unfortunately I will be in Belgium for Easter on that date but I plan to visit it later and maybe take a photo and publish. I know that it will not be as spectacular and big as one can imagine (London?) but butterfiles will be butterflies anyway.
6. from 17 March 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35153,..._ogladac_trzytygodniowego_makaka_wanderu.html A 3 week old lion-tailed macaque went on the run for it's first time in the Municipal Zoological Garden of Lodz. The mother had to get accustomed to the new situation as it was the first time she delivered. She was a bit of a clumsy mom at first. At last the instinct prevailed. She takes very good care of the young one now. The sex of the little macaque remains undisclosed. "We didn't get a chance to take a look under it's tail yet" reports Ryszard Topola - the director of the Zoo - "but from the way it moves about we have a 90% certainty that it's a female." 7. from 14 April 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35136,9437571,Gepard_Sheppart_w_lodzkim_zoo__Beda_male_gepardki_.html A new 1/0 cheetah named Sheppart, 2 year old arrived from Ebeltoft in Denmark. [Polish for Cheetah is "gepard" which is a funny homonym for Sheppart.] Previous partners did not have luck with 0/1 Dion residing in Lodz. The predecessor of Sheppart was sent back to his home zoo in Czech Republic. Zoo hopes that 9 year old Dion will now be more lucky and deliver litter before her biological clock rings for the last time. In case of failure the zoo will apply to the european cheetah species coordinator for a new female. Sheppart will remain in quarantine for a couple of days until he is fully acclimatized and can be positively evaluated for display and mating.
From 20 April 2011 http://lodz.gazeta.pl/lodz/1,35153,9472402,Roje_pieknych_motyli_w_lodzkim_zoo___ZOBACZ_ZDJECIA_.html Barwne owady w zoo - ?ód? The new butterfly premise in the Municipal Zoological Garden of Lodz is now officially open. Couple of pictures are available at the first link above. It will hold around 100 specimens at a time. Among the most interesting species you will encounter the South-East Asian Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) whose wingsspan can reach as much as almost 30cm! The premise will be taken care by Tomasz Jóźwik, the zoo's veterinary doctor, butterfly passionate and Barbara Wicińska.
Ok. Bunch of news from Zoo Lodz. Births: - 2/3 Pied Imperial Pigeons - 2 Hume's bar-tailed pheasants - 5 Sacred Ibis - 5 Meerkats - Larger hairy armadillo - 2 Cotton-Top Marmosets - 2 Guanacos - South American Tapir - Java Mouse-deer - 2 European wood bison - 3 Japanase snakes - 8 Boa madagascariensis - few Xenentodon cancila Arrivals: - pair of Fiji Banded Iguana - 2 female Persian Fallow Deer from Munich - few of Golden Mantellas - female South American Sea Lion - female Asiatic Lion from Lyon - male Eurasian Lynx - pair of Pygmy Marmoset - female Bactrian Camel - 2 male Von der Decken's Hornbills - male Temminck's Tragopan - male Griffon Vulture - male and 2 females Siamese Firebacks - few South American Leaf Fish - male Southern Pudu
Two female Giraffe have died from stress following a break in by vandals AFP: Giraffes die from stress as vandals terrorise Polish zoo
I wish they get hold of the vandals and let them do community service in the zoo without recompense ... It is an absolute disgrace that and sad to see part of one of the newer breeding groups of giraffe loose 2 valuable individual animals.
According to the zoo principal Ryszar Topola, that will be the end of the herd in Łódź for a very long time. ~"Considering very low female availability, and the specific polygamous culture of these giraffes chances are small for European transfers and outside the continent it is beyond economic reach of Łódź Zoo." Another thing that I see is that the level of zoo-consciousness in the local community is not as bad as I initially reported. The current publicity can be after all seen as an ally to the zoo.
BTW 6 years and 10 dead giraffes in Zoo Lodz. Nice stats. In this moment, I don't want any giraffes in Lodz Zoo.
Lodz are to recieve three Baringo Giraffe females in the coming weeks to replace the two that died earlier in the year. 0:1 will come from Warsaw, 0:1 from Plock and the third from Leipzig The Associated Press: Widowed giraffe at Polish zoo to get new mates
In March 2011 - see previous posting - a renovation of the indoor stalls for giraffe was being planned. Given that new giraffe will be coming in ... Have those plans been carried out?
Another Giraffe dead: This time the bull from complications during surgery to investigate a digestive problem http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...c2eb9e-1167-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html
The male was already reported ill before the OP. Incidentally, at Zoo Lodz 10 giraffes have died in the last 6 years, 5 of these were directly related to digestive problems. The issue has been much talked about on other fora.
