This years tongue in cheek look forward is going to be a bit shorter from myself,but as before there could be a few nuggets of truth hidden in amongst the lunacy that goes on in my mind!! First off is a repeat of one from last year,Suffolk Wildlife Park finally gets rid,of all its South East asian species and actually lives up to the name Africa Alive!! Amazona Zoo build a new cat enclosure and brings Margay back into the collection! Banham Zoo annouce that they are to start building a complex to house Bonobo. Belfast Zoo as always will bring in a new species not already in the UK,and will be the only collection in the UK to bred Bears in 2014! Birdland continues to upgrade its old enclosure's,but also suffers a few loss of birds after the River Windrush floods part of the site. Blackbrook Zoo opens its re-built Tropical house as a Reptile collection,which adds a whole new dimension to he collection. Blackpool Zoo adds more bird species to the collection,and the Yacare caiman breed again. Bristol Zoo bring Eastern Quolls for the nocturnal House and the Pygmy Hippo bred.The new Wildplace site adds 2 more Lemur species and work starts on a new Red River Hog enclosure. Chessington add another species of big cat. Chester Zoo nothing happens a part form the building of Islands. Colchester finally open the new Sun Bear enclosure,and annouce the arrival of Giant Panda for 2016. Cotswold Wildlife Park breed the Clouded Leopard. Dartmoor Zoo annouce plans to build a 4 million pound Bull Elephant holding enclosure. Dudley Zoo start work on the new joint entrance with Black Country Museum,and the roof blows off the Reptile House. Edinburgh Zoo annouce the Giant Panda might be pregnant and manage to drag it out fro 6 months before admitting she wasn't. Exmoor Zoo bring in some new canid species. Five Sisters Zoo Park re-opens the Nocturnal House with a few surprises that have come from private breeders in the UK. Folly Farm start work on an enclosure for Rhino. Hamerton Zoo Park adds 2 new cat species to the collection during the year and breeds the Bengal Loris,and the small cat breeding centre final opens to the public. Highland Wildlife Park bring in more Bharal. Howletts and Port Lympne annouce all the animals are going back to the wild and will be replaced by Animatronic versions of what they use to hold. Knowsley Safari Park bring back American Bison. Living Coasts bring in some new wader species. London Zoo annouce plans to re-build the Reptile House. Longleat Safari Park bring in a new mangement team again,and Anne moves to Noahs Ark Zoo Farm,as it becomes obvious the collection sending them African elephants will never get them in the crates. Marwell has a quiet year for new developments and species leaving,but has a good year in terms of visitor numbers. Noahs Ark Zoo Farm take on a group of none breeding elderly Asian Elephants. Paignton Zoo expand the Nocturnal House. Rare Species Conservation Centre opens for one day and then closes because the only visitors it got were people from this site,but it still brings in many species that are either new to the UK or not been seen for along time. Scottish Deer Centre becomes yet another Scottish collection to keep Bears. South Lakes Wild Animal Park David S Gill admits on facebook that he was Yorik on zoochat. Twycross Zoo go out of keeping 3 more species of primate but still say they are the world primate centre,and yet more animals leave or disappear without any good reason. Woburn Safari Park go out of Drills. Right thats it my crystal ball has run out of power.
I predict that YWP give up on "rescuing" the Mexican polar bear and concentrate their efforts on surplus EEP bears. After unveiling the new exhibit they immediately start work on a house and enclosure for black rhino.
I agree with implied prediction that nothing will happen at Whipsnade. But I'd venture that the animatronic animals at Howletts will be playing with a set of animatronic Aspinalls, which will be moved from enclosure to enclosure each night to give variety. The big question is how many other collections will follow the examples of London and Edinburgh by constructing second enclosures for meerkats? Will any zoo be ambitious enough to build a third? Alan
I sincerely hope not, but if i was a betting man, i would suggest an announcement be it arrival or new housing for either gelada, polar bear, black rhino or either hippo species. Based upon previous posts.
How about bugger all happens and another couple of enclosures get blown down in a gale!Also the Welsh Assembly realise they have made a mistake and annouce that Folly Farm is to become the National Zoo of Wales.
Marwell already have 2 permanent meerkat enclosures & a third currently empty which they are bound to use at some stage in 2014, plus the old coati one which could be used!
Zoogiraffe's tongue in cheek..... Someone, somewhere, will open a drive-through Meerkat Park, with perhaps side exhibits of Short-clawed Otters and Ring-tailed Lemurs. No offence intended to any of these species or their devotees.
Zoogiraffe's tongue..... Someone, somewhere, will open a collection showcasing species that do well in zoos but aren't necessarily endangered. I'm thinking of Barbary Sheep, Blackbuck and Vervet Monkeys, all of which are decided short in the UK at present.
Well the "two" enclosures are technically meant to be one , joined by the tunnels under the centre, the third is really just a temporary holding unit whilst the Meerkats are in dispute with each other..., the ex-coati enclosure was home to the evicted Tortoises from Encounter Village, but hey, yes, why not lets have a zoo full of the public`s favourite animal!!!
Zoogiraffe's tongue in cheek.... Someone, somewhere, will divert a few million pounds (or dollars, I'm not fussy) from less important stuff, so we can afford to maintain decent ex-situ populations of a lot more species, endangered and non-endangered, AND put more funding into in-situ stuff as well. If only natural history/conservation attracted the same level of funding as some sports.
The main enclosure, the old sand cat house plus the small one on the hall lawn makes 3 by my reckoning!
I wouldn't be surprised if the Aspinal parks predictions came true, if he carries on his anti zoo ramblings!
I predict that a zoo will sudenly realise that meerkats have no conservation value and replace them with a small carnivore that needs help.
