Anteater walks... » London Zoo

28-07-2008

Ha, cute!
They are amazing animals, I want more zoos in the UK to exhibit them, as well as Tamanduas
How many UK collections actually have either of these species?

30-07-2008

Giant anteaters are everywhere now, compared to just london around ten years ago. Before that, until the start of the 90's, only London and Kilverstone kept them (when the runs were opened up into paddocks in the stork and ostrich house London stopped keeping them for around 12 years, and obviously Kilverstone closed). I think you can see them at Amazon zoo world, edinburgh, marwell, howletts, London, colchester......

Tamaduas looked like they were going to become well established for a while, now they are all the sothern subspecies with the exception of a northern at howletts and another animal of another subspecies at Amazon zoo world. Only a couple of zoos now seem to have pairs, if ISIS is to be believed, and I don't think there has been any breeding for a little while. I do know that RSCC acquired at least one, either to quarantine for colchester or to keep themselves. Their website list them as keeping this species but they don't show up on ISIS.

30-07-2008

If you go back a bit further they were not that uncommon in British zoos. Chester had a pair for many years (where the rabbits/goats are now) which never bred. Twycross had a pair which did breed but the young did not survive.

31-07-2008

Shame about the Tamanduas not being more common.
Just out of interest, do they have to be exhibited in a nocturnal house? I've seen the one in Newquay zoo who is, and I've seen photo's of the one at the RSCC who isn't.

31-07-2008

I don't think the IOW tamaduas are in reverse-lighting scenarios, in fact I would doubt any of the UK collections do this. However, howletts have an OUTDOOR enclosure for theirs, and they spend a great deal of time sleeping outside on branches in during the summer. I don't really see the justification for keeping this species permanently indoors. US pet keepers seem to talk their pet tamanduas outside for walks with their dogs.

31-07-2008

Newquay keep their's in a reverse lighting house. However, I watched him for ages and he slept most of the time, which is why I wondered if they were more active in outdoor exhibits.

Amazon World IOW tamanduas
31-07-2008

On my visit a couple of years ago one was light coloured specimen was housed in a sort of Nocturnal exhibit , from memory it was just dark through lack of lighting . A pair which were darker in colouring were in a mesh cage you could walk around - far from ideal . They have bred there in the past and had quite a few but I think only have one left now .

31-07-2008

A lot of Amazon World looks far from ideal, although I'm only going by what I've seen in photos.