Rare species in European zoos

18-04-2007

The Ratel, That you said is only in one zoo has spread in recent years. Port lympe or Howletts has a pair and Edinburgh ahs an Individual.

18-04-2007

Yeah, i allready found out it was at H/PL but i never heared one appearing at Edinburgh...

Does "Hamilton Zoo" still have that aardwolf (proteles cristatus)? This zoo appeared pretty negatively in the dutch news a few years back when they where selling their animals to people acting as animal dealers...

18-04-2007

i've seen an aardwolf. can't remember where though. might have been in a zoo in argentina or sri lanka. in any event they are a weird looking thing - a termite-eating hyena!

Aardwolf in Hamilton Zoo ? ( and kiwis )
18-04-2007

It may have done so when it was a menagerie style , but since it has become a proper zoo , thgere has not been any aardwolves , aardvarks , or any other wolves .
They have Cape Hunting dogs now , though .

The Hamilton Zoo started off as a backyard menagerie , but it now has some of the NZs best ( and largest ) enclosures . It has disposed of any menagerie style it may have had in its past . It is part of ARAZPA (sp?)

If Te Papa museum houses kiwis , they are not available for public display .
They exist at Karori Sanctuary , but are not often seen .
They are also on display at Whangarei Museum and Kiwi rescue centre , and several other places . The best place to see them is at Otorohanga Kiwi House -- they GARUNTEE that visitors ( with reasonable eyesight ) will see a kiwi .
Tuatara are also found at Wellingtons University , and if there are not too many people around , the staff at Nga Manu sanctuary will bring out a tuatara for adults to stroke -- this is a really good experience

18-04-2007

would i be guessing correctly when i assume that jwer was not talking about hamilton zoo, NZ but in fact "a zoo in hamilton" UK?

18-04-2007

Twycross zoo has aardwolves. They're really rare in zoos

18-04-2007

You would be guessing correctly

I think i'm mixed up with the names though, because i ment Hamerton Zoo

sorry

18-04-2007

He was still there on my last visit a couple of years ago- not sure about since tho'- he was very ancient by then....

18-04-2007

There is one pair of Ratels at Howletts(not at Port Lympne) They were among the original animals in John Aspinall's (then) private collection which also included Gorillas, Tigers and Asian antelope, Bison etc. They still live in a small enclosure surrounded by a low concrete-wall sited close to the original Gorilla area. I don't know how old this pair is, whether either of them is an original animal or if they have ever bred these interesting (and very aggressive) animals.

18-04-2007

confusion confusion... Hamilton Zoo is is NZ. HamERTon is near Cambridge UK.
I haven't been but a friend has. It is small but quite good I believe and specialises in smaller carnivores. I think they do exhibit Aardwolf (which as Pat said looks excatly like a miniature Striped Hyaena but eats termites..)

18-04-2007

I haven't been to either of John Aspinnals parks but I have seen his ratels on a children's programme. It was sad when he passed away

04-05-2007

Oh Jwer, About the Fairy penguins, I saw a programme about Bristol zoo about a week ago and it mentioned them.

04-05-2007

Jonathan go and see the two zoos if you can both Howletts and Port Lymne they have the best animals collection that I have ever seen.

04-05-2007

Yes but the only birds they have are ostriches.

05-05-2007

I saw a heap of Macaws there last time i visited