Dudley Zoo - BS visit » Dudley Zoo

Dudley Zoo - BS visit
03-10-2007

Dear All

A few Bartlett Society members < Zoo History > are meeting on Sunday the 7th of October at Dudley Zoo. Besides our usual informal wanderings we will be viewing their history display boards and having a chat with their Chief Executive. This winter sees the start of their redevelopment project. If you are interested in join us then please feel free to drop me a 'private message'.

Regards, Paul M.

03-10-2007

I've jus noticed your avatar. I love malay crestless firebacks.

06-10-2007

Very beautiful Birds.

How is Dudley is it really that bad, i havent been in a few years??

12-12-2007

Sorry - belated reply !

Worth a visit !

There is an excellent write up about Dudley on: -
Yahoo! Groups

But what impressed me most was the management and their plans. The old (concrete) infrastructure is going to be mixed with modern ideals. The millions this will cost has been made available by changes to local land leasing arrangements.

One to watch !

Regards, Paul M.

31-03-2008

Sorry I've just kind of hijacked this thread

With Jorong arriving from Dublin zoo do you know if the orangutans, tigers and lions have all swapped enclosure yet? I vaguely remember there being a plan where a new lion exhibit would be built near the bottom of the zoo. Once that had been completed the tigers were going to move to the old lion exhibit and then the tiger exhibit would be renovated so as to house the group of orangs. If this hasn't happened then its a bit unfair on Jorong to move to where the Orangs used to/ still are being kept. At least they are making a huge effort to change things now to improve the conditions for some of their larger animals

01-04-2008

I think is a good thing they've managed to get a breeding male Orang on loan- if he's able to benefit from a new enclosure during the time he's there so then much the better, but the important thing is the females have now got a breeding partner. I imagine the new enclosure hasn't even been started yet...(?)

01-04-2008

It is good that they have obtained a breeding male but the fact that the old breeding male fathered one offspring and then has failed to do it since may be a bit ominous. The enclosure is not the greatest but i suppose if its happened once it may happen again

Did a male orangutan move from Dudley to Jersey zoo, i think he was quite successful and fathered quite a few offspring. I remember going to Jersey and the keeper doing the talk saying the male had come from Dudley and the fact that it was an awful zoo which i thought was a little harsh

01-04-2008

Dudley's original male was called 'Joe' and he died many years ago now, having fathered several offspring to more than one female. His last baby was 'Jaz' who is still there. Then some years ago Dudley got another male called 'Benny' who hasn't bred at all and is possibly infertle- I don't know. This is the one Jorong will be deputising for(not Joe).

Jersey's current Sumatran male is called 'Dagu' I think he was at Dudley beforehand but only for a very short while(a few months) as he was kept for most of his life before going to Jersey by a private owner in Essex.

I've heard people who give talks at zoos sometimes 'slag off' other zoos- I think that's wrong and can give an innaccurate portrayal of the facts. Dudley is certainly not an 'awful' place- however I've always thought the setting & buildings makes it rather depressing and I'm not sure even the new plans will get rid of that particular 'feel' it has.

01-04-2008

Dagu was kept at Sleepy Hollow zoo in Gloucestershire before moving to Dudley and then on to Jersey. He was there for a few years after moving from the scrap yard in Essex.

02-04-2008

Maybe its the fact that its set around a castle. The fact that people have died at the place may have given it a dark atmosphere maybe

It is a bit out of order for other zoos to slag off other ones that are trying their best. Dudley isn't an awful zoo and the fact that its made valuable contributions to both the Sumatran tiger and Asiatic Lion populations in Europe mean it should be treated with some respect by its peers. At the end of the day shouldn't they all be working together rather than trying to see whose the best.

Is Sleepy Hollow still going?? There was some talk a few years ago that they were going to build enclosures for the big cats and wolves they kept behind the scenes and breeding wise were successful with. I know the locals were against it so it was scrapped but do they still have those big cats and wolves?

02-04-2008

Do you mean Dagu was at Sleepy Hollow for several years? I think he was only at Dudley a short while before moving to Jersey. He certainly had a very unusual background and very little contact with other Orangutans until Jersey- but this certainly hasn't affected his ability to breed.

02-04-2008

Could be... to me the very Industrialised/urban surroundings don't help a lot and even the trees used to be blackened with soot. The hill is riddled with old mine shafts apparently. To me it's just not a very uplifting place but still quite a major animal collection not to be sniffed at...

02-04-2008

well Dudley is my hometown so maybe i've just got used to the area not being the best

24-01-2009

*Bump* Anyone have more info on Sleepy Hollow zoo in Gloucestershire, mentioned above? Just curious about it.

25-01-2009

The problem for Dudley zoo is that alot of their enclosures are listed buildings so nothing can be done with them! But as a zoo, it is improving!!!