new exhibits in British zoos

19-02-2008

In a way it's not the best period in time to be starting expensive zoo 'masterplans' because the economy is going into rocky waters. This year and maybe next year could be quite tricky so I wouldn't be surprised if big multi-million pound projects are postponed over the next 12 months... perhaps by several years, if not indefinitely. Certainly people are starting to feel a squeeze on disposable income and I think it will get worse before it gets better.
But don't let all this get you down.

19-02-2008

Good point, Tempest.

Look at Chester, in the last two years there has been two multi-million projects (Realm of the Red Ape and the new elephant house). This year they are building a cheetah paddock, a bridge and a butterfly house...

19-02-2008

Yep. Chester's got a very good record of redevelopment, but there's only so much money available and the 'boom time' in the economy is over.
Chester may already have secured the money needed for more immediate projects, but increasing costs of fuel and food won't help.

23-02-2008

http://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo...it,846,AR.html

Rhinos of Nepal is now open at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo...

23-02-2008

Thats great news Jimmy, Hope someone can post a few pics of this new exhibit soon

23-02-2008

I don't know if this has been posted before, but here is an update on Whipsnade's Cheetah exhibit...


"Whipsnade's lone cheetah Tosca will soon have some feline friends to play with when a brand new breeding facility opens at the zoo.

The three-year-old Southern African cheetah is to be joined by three new additions to the clan, with more expected later this year.

Work on the £1 million-plus project is still going on, but chiefs at the zoo are hopeful that it will kick-start a new rearing programme."

24-02-2008

Forget about the new exhibit for a minute- I find it remarkable that Whipsnade are down to a single Cheetah at present- having been in the forefront of breeding in the past. I wonder how that happened? Still, the new enclosure will see that change and hopefully renewed breeding as well- as long as they don't mind the lions....

24-02-2008

Its a pity there's no plan of the indoor accomodation... perhaps the first forum member to visit can take some pix of the indoor areas and post them.

This is really picky.. but 'rhinos of Nepal' isn't completely accurate as the 2 calves are a mix of Assamese x Nepalese origins and the old cow (if she's in there) is not from Nepalese stock either. okay,I'll admit 'Rhinos of Nepal and Assam' wouldn't have quite the same ring

24-02-2008

Other major exhibits planned include a new aquarium at chester, a new tropical house at belfast, an orang utan exhibit with se asian animals at colchester, new giraffe houses at banham and cotswold wp, there also plans for a gorilla exhibit at marwell

Does anyone have any updates on any of these other projects?

24-02-2008

I've heard on these forums that Chester's new aquarium has been postponed for the time-being for whatever reason...

24-02-2008

The Colchester Orangutan exhibit is due to open this summer I think- its been featured on their website for a long while now as 'coming soon' and I guess it must be nearing completion (if on target..)

Any news about the timeframe on Marwell's proposed Gorilla exhibit would be welcome.

24-02-2008

The aquarium is on hold at present at Chester not sure when planning for it will start again.

24-02-2008

I'd also be interested to know what Dudley are upto, since I've seen a few photos of the current ape facilities in the gallery, and can understand why everyones saying its in need of a change.

26-02-2008

There's been little or no news since last spring, unfortunately. The developer, St Modwen, released this statement in March 07 which seemed to suggest that after 6 years in "planning hell" it was finally all systems go, subject to the contract between the zoo and the developer being settled. Since then, nothing. (Work on site was supposed to start late last year).

St. Modwen Properties plc. News & Media

What could have held it up? Well, the perennial problem of money could be to blame - maybe the turning market has put some of the funding in jeopardy? Lack of interest in the commercial properties? Another possibility is that now the Castle Hill site is part of a much wider masterplan for the regeneration of Dudley town centre, it could have been dragged back into the planning process with a number of new conditions. Nothing of this nature has been reported, however, so I should clarify that it's pure speculation on my part and if anybody knows more, I'd be interested to hear it.

There are a few nuggets in that article though. The zoo will be split into three zones: tropical, Asiatic forest and European/polar. There will be new aquatic facilities and new exhibits for orangs and big cats.

26-02-2008

You of course may find that remarkable. The fact is that Whipsnade was too good for its own sake in breeding cheetah, inadequate facilities+other housing priorities and old age simply did the rest. The EEP has been trying to desperately increase founder representation in the under-represented cheetahs of southern African descent.

The timing of regrouping the cheetah breeding programme is both ominous and significant. Just now, new cheetah breeding lines have become available for the southern African cheetah, whereas a new subspecies - the northeast African soemmerringii - is showing huge growth potential (and also points to the fact that genetic variability in cheetah is far greater than previously thought).

Regarding the genetics, I sure find it interesting to learn more in future on the north African race hecki in the Sahara desert (Algeria, Egypt, Niger) and the Asian race venaticus (Iran).