ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

What happened to the male tiger please?
Thanks!

 

I think sun bears and possibly a rhino species could be exhibited at London again but it’s a question of how much space they’re prepared to use. Truth is the zoo has lost one of its lawns for the reptile house and I suspect they’ll be reluctant to lose anymore.

 

Extract from e-mail sent to members:-

"Asim was swiftly operated on, and a blockage – caused by a piece of bone – was found in his intestines. Thankfully we were able to remove all of the bone during the procedure, and Asim was returned to Tiger Territory to recover from his surgery.

Intestinal surgery is a serious and very delicate procedure, and recovery can be slow. We’re still keeping a close eye on Asim to make sure he’s recovering as he should be.

Thanks to the quick responses of our big cat team, who immediately recognised the severity of Asim’s symptoms, we were able to intervene quickly and save his life – something we are all so grateful for."

 

I would love to see Sun Bears replace the wallabies and emus in front of the Mappins. Not only a homage to the days of bears on the terraces, but it could combine with the tigers, babirusa, gibbons and Komodos to create a Southeast Asian zone of sorts. Space isn't an issue, with the combined area of all the wallaby and emu enclosures is 1,300 square metres, which is more than enough space for Sun Bears, the smallest of all bear species - for reference, the outdoor portion of the sun bear enclosure at Colchester, which so many, including myself, consider to be a world-class enclosure, is just under 900 square metres. I can't see rhinos returning as I don't see where they would have the space, and the claims made by some others on this forum that there is enough space to bring them back to the Cassons seem a little far-fetched and fantastical to me.

The area of land at the zoo that feels most underused is the canalside. The zoo has plenty of space on either bank of the Regent's Canal that is, barring the hunting dog and warthog enclosures, entirely underused. Said hunting dog and warthog enclosures are perfectly adequate, and both of which are located at the narrowest point of the land between the pathway and the canal (varying between 7 and 12 metres), while the areas on the North Bank (either side of Snowdon Aviary) are upwards of 21 metres wide and sloping, so, while nothing comparable to rhinos and bears, they could easily house something interesting. Personally, I would love to see cassowaries on the North Bank, which would extend a long tradition of keeping birds in that area (of course there are the recently closed, and hopefully soon-to-be reopened, owleries and pheasantries, but at one point there were also paddocks for pinioned cranes and geese here), and wolves on the South Bank, taking advantage of the woodland-like foliage, and with the canalside having already proven itself adequate for canines with the hunting dogs. The wolves would replace the Woodland Walk, which is lovely, but feels a bit redundant given that the zoo is located within Regent's Park, which offers more than enough of interest for visitors to look for wildlife before or after their visit to the zoo.

Regarding the Reptile House, I am beyond excited and have a visit planned for opening day on Good Friday, and although I may be forced to reschedule, it is looking more and more likely by the minute. In the hope of having an entirely unbiased first viewing of SLoRA, I have refrained from reading any of the reviews generously shared by members who attended one of the Fellow's previews upthread, with the same applying for any images on the gallery. Hopefully all goes according to plan and I will be able to share my own thoughts in a few days time!

 

I like those ideas, one thing I'd quite like to see is a desert house to reintroduce species that were once found in the Clore - I remember the excitement of seeing Sand Cats and Fennec Foxes for the first time in 1996 and it felt strange that they weren't there in 2014 when I returned, particularly the former which was in the moonlight world and cat area. Maybe add some smaller species like jerboa and other rodents, some reptiles and invertebrates too

 

Thank you!

 

Sand cats were on the lion terraces when i saw them at about that time and they bred. Nothing quite like seeing a fennec fox in the Clore.

 

I'm trying not to overindulge myself in the thread after having finally fallen for London in the last week, but certainly interesting reading some of the ideas shared here, especially those by @Kalaw and @ZooNut23 . Wallaby and emu could easily be preserved as they aren't terribly demanding species. Shame that pinnipeds and rhinos seem basically impossible to fit though.

 

Agreed but perhaps expand the Okapi exhibit and include some other species of Forest antelope

 

Some of the recent features in the second Okapi outside compound do suggest that they would suit a smaller creature (smaller than the Duiker).

 

Say something like a dik dik then?

 

Would be lovely to get a new species (even given how common dik-diks are, they would be a very fun addition), but I certainly hope that this wouldn't rule out the prospect of acquiring another Okapi bull in the hope of breeding, or at the very least another female. Very possibly the animal that I have the fondest memories of over my many years of visiting London Zoo, and it would be heartbreaking to see the species depart permanently.

 

Yes, it would be another disappointing loss. Thankfully I can’t see it happening, though.

 

Considering how intrinsically linked Okapi are to ZSL and its history, I agree. I’d argue their one of London’s keystone species.

 

It feels so strange to be the one posting any updates in this thread...

- The barrier in front of the Okapi House was gone today and the animal visible inside the building near the glass. Did not see the duiker anywhere.
- The barrier in front of the Indian mongoose exhibit is also gone, although I did not see the animals today.
- The viewing deck at Land of the Lions is still blocked, unfortunately, which disrupts the flow of the exhibit some.

I also saw the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians and found it very charming, saw a lot of school groups who seemed delighted with it (without getting overcrowded) and I have photos of every sign, I think every exhibit, and all but one resident species.

 

Well exactly, although I thought that about the Arabian oryx!

 

When we were last there staff were looking at the theming along the wall of the railway station enclosure (on the top deck) and discussing what needed to be done in the area in terms of height needed for safety barriers so presuming it’s closed to facilitate this work.

 

i think with okapi it's a little different. Arabian Oryx have a bit less history in the UK & more generally Europe because Scimitar-Horned was the species of choice there. But with okapi it was a different story

For one thing I recall that Harry Johnston himself was associated closely with ZSL... and so it was that the species was named Okapia johnstoni!

 

Nothing points to the Okapi exhibit closing only signs that further smaller creatures may access the outside space in addition to the duiker.

 

When the Arabian oryx arrived at London Zoo in 1959, there were 8 in captivity and 30-40 in the wild. The oryx was soon hunted to extinction in the wild, but the international zoo saved the species. London Zoo's oryx 'Caroline' was lent to the world herd in Phoenix, Arizona, for the first international cooperative breeding programme.