Dudley Zoo » Dudley Zoo

Dudley Zoo
13-05-2008

Just a few notes from a visit over the weekend;

- the lynx enclosures have been completely rebuilt with a tunnelt o a little viewing dome in the middle of the enclosure; the three cats were very showy and sitting right up by the front glass most of the time.
- Toco Toucans new in the run of aviaries opposite the Barbary Sheep.
- the two small aviaries after the Snowy Owls but before the Boobooks (the two long narrow ones that always looked like a moderate breeze could bring them down) have been rebuilt to house singletons of Common Raven and European Eagle Owl.
- Dwarf Mongoose in Monkey Tails have been replaced by a second group of Meerkats; anyone know what happened to the Dwarf Mongooses?
- very pleased to see the two elderly Asian Black Bears out and about and pretty active all things considered.
- one of the highlights of the day; no fewer than three Barbary Sheep youngsters born in the last couple of months, bring this once-stagnating herd to 14 by my count. And what a cracking display they make.

Overall, the zoo was busy and the animals pretty showy considering the heat. I don't think I had a single mammal no-show which is not at all bad going. Some photos of the day in the gallery: Maguari Gallery - Photo Gallery

13-05-2008

Thanks for the photos Maguari, great work with the lynx.
I've not been to Dudley but I get a feel for it from your pictures. Dudley looks better than I thought it was, I like their apparent policy on keeping primates, in larger open topped enclosures.
Got some good animals I didn't know they had too, like the Geoffroy's Cat.

14-05-2008

I havent been in years, i wasnt impressed with the place if im honest. Bit it sees the place has improved a little over the years. What's happening with their masterplan now, has anythibg started on the orangutan house yet.
Maybe i should visit soon

14-05-2008

We visited last month. No physical evidence of the master plan. But this year would mainly have been for detailing the design and obtaining official planning permissions. There is a lot of paperwork to be completed between outline concept and starting their first building. There have been so many false dawns at Dudley that I hope my optimism is not ill placed but I do have confidence that the current management will delivery, eventually.

14-05-2008

I am impressed with the gibbon enclosure. I had envisaged they'd be in another grass hotwired pen, live trees, what a bonus. I really hope dudley carries on with these small changes. What lives where the oryx and gazelle once did?

14-05-2008

Do Dudley Zoo still attempt in breeding their asiatic lions, or are the pair they have either too old/well represented?

How are the tigers getting along, any signs of breeding. i know them and London exchanged females last year or something?

18-05-2008

There has been a lot of rumours floating around about these big plans but its good to see they are making changes for the good esp the new lynx enclosure. Does anyone know how many crested macaques they hold now? When they were in the present gibbon enclosure by the castle they seemed to thrive then they moved to the bear pit and seemed to drop in numbers slightly.

18-05-2008

Only saw 1 when i visited a few weeks ago.

18-05-2008

Its a pity because they were always quite active and i think they had 3 or 4 born their. Its a prime example of what can happen when a zoo tries to provide an enclosure that they believe is for the better of an animal and instead it has the opposite effect. I'm guessin when you went the chimpanzee group was still without a male??

18-05-2008

My guess would be if the Sulawesi Macaques have declined, that its less to do with a change of enclosure, and more to do with group dynamics, lack of breeding females or infertility perhaps. Primate groups (in captivity) do sometimes seem to go through 'boom & bust' periods like this.

regarding the chimps, I can't understand the continued lack of a male- Twycross could lend them (preferably)a couple or they're not difficult to get from other sources too, so why so many years here without any new males?

18-05-2008

Yep the Chimps are still with out a male.

18-05-2008

could it be anything to do with age? Is there an age where Chimps are unable to breed? Even if it didn't result in any breeding i would have thought a male or even a couple may bring greater social stability. Without a male would the more dominant of the females take on the role of a leader? I'm more an interested observer rather than someone whose in the world of zoology and animal management so you'll have to forgive the stupid questions i may ask