AquaZoo Leeuwarden Aqua zoo news

Some updates from my visit last friday:

- Nice to see that by now a lot of storks are back on the many nests in the park. They can be seen and heard throughout the entire zoo!

- There was a new map at the entrance. This now includes the almost completed Chuchill area. As a result, all animals for this area are now officially known. They are: (new species for the zoo in bold)

- North American beaver (Castor canadensis)
- North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
- American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
- Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)
- Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

- Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

- Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

- Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Common raven (Corvus corax)
​

- On the construction site of that new Churchill area, a lot has also been happening lately. They are currently working on the paths, and next week the planting will be done. The construction of the bald eagle aviary is in place. The area should be ready in three weeks.




- An indoor enclosure at the future new red panda enclosure has now been installed. This will be decorated further. There will also be climbing structures on the islands. The red pandas will move in here from mid-May.

 

Didn't they say in the most recent episode of "the road to Churchill" that they still have a surprise in store? There might still be a chance for a species they haven't mentioned yet.

Technically speaking, these are North Eurasian common ravens (Corvus corax corax), the only subspecies commonly held in Central Europe. Not that that really matters, but might as well mention it.

 

That's correct. And until this new map, I honestly also thought it had to do with a still unknown species. But if that was really the case, I think they would have waited to make a new map until everything is known.

I now think this surprise is more likely to have something to do with the education house between the aviary and the beaver enclosure, because that's what they were talking about at that point in the video. Of course, I don't know exactly what it will be then, but I'm afraid it's all a bit less exciting than we might think now.

 

Some updates from my visit yesterday:

- The Red Madagascar Panchax have young.

- The Wadden sea area was closed due to works. The floor was painted a sand colour.

- The African penguins have young.

- The new Churchill area is still under construction. The nets of the aviary are placed and work on planting and thematisation is in progress. On 28 March is the exclusive opening for season ticket holders.


- At the same time, there will also be the opening of a new event: Ice Age in AquaZoo. Spread throughout the park, life-size animals from the ice age can be seen. The first ones are already in place.


- The hamerkop are back in the pelican aviary.

- Episode 3 of 'The Road to Churchill' was also published yesterday. In which the designer takes you around the construction site. (footage is about 4 weeks old).

 

Eleven raccoons escaped from AquaZoo on the night of Monday to Tuesday. They were among a group of 12 animals moved to the zoo from the AAP foundation on Monday. There they first stayed in a separation enclosure to recover from the trip.

This new separation enclosure also met all requirements and was specially designed for the animals, with extra thick wire mesh and concrete rubble on the floor, for example. It seems the animals dug through the concrete rubble anyway and pulled the wire mesh loose. Two parts of this were not connected properly.

Keepers at AquaZoo discovered it this morning and then informed the authorities. Currently, two of the 11 escaped raccoons have been recovered. To recapture the other nine, AquaZoo has set traps at the zoo and in the surrounding area.

Source: Elf wasberen ontsnapt uit Leeuwarder dierentuin AquaZoo

 

Oof, that's though news for the keepers and the zoo! Hopefully the raccoons will turn up soon again.

I am curious if they will though, because raccoons are labeled invasive exotic species under European law, and the Zoogdierenvereniging keeps watch on sightings of this species to see what their impact on natural surroundings may be.

Lets keep an eye on Waarneming.nl

 

Last Thursday evening, I attended the exclusive opening of the new Churchill area for season ticket holders. In addition to the existing polar bear area, three new enclosures have been built for different North American species. Some of the existing species have moved to this area from other places in the zoo, such as the North American beavers and the striped skunks. Several new species have also been added, such as North American porcupines and bald eagle.

The last few things are still being worked on. For instance, the polar bears' shelters still need further decoration, and a few other small things. Of course, the planting still needs to grow. An herb mix consisting of native species similar to the herbs and flowers of the North American tundra has also been sown. Also, not all announced species are present yet, as the fish species are not yet in the zoo.

Some photos of the new area:


North American beaver and North American porcupine enclosure






Raccoon and skunk enclosure






Polar bear enclosure




Bald eagle and raven aviary


Education hut

Last few days, two raccoons have been found again. Which means seven of the 11 escaped raccoons are still missing at this point.

 

Some updates from my visit yesterday:

- There is a new education sign in the newly opened Churchill area. It tells how the arrival of a beaver can change an entire area. Touching the screen starts a video showing how beavers change their environment.


- Meanwhile, in the same area, the decoration of one of the polar bear shelters has been completed. The bank of the pond in this enclosure has also been made neat again. In the other enclosure, work is still in progress on the other shelter.





- The first preparatory work for the new red panda enclosure has started.

 

Last weekend, a fifth raccoon was caught. This one was caught in a trap cage near the zoo. So of the 11 escaped raccoons, six are now still on the loose.

The province has recently authorised wildlife managers to use more different trapping methods or shoot the animals. Shooting is only done if live trapping or tranquilising is really not possible.

 

Thanks for the detailed updates on the new area MennoPebesma! I am looking forward to visiting Aqua Zoo later this year, with all these new developments. Probably changed a lot since I last visited in 2018...

 

You're welcome. And it certainly has! Among others, new species in the indoor section, a new aviary and three new areas (Amur, Wadden Sea & Churchill). But also some species that are no longer there, unfortunately including two of the three pinniped species.

 

I am glad though they refocussed on Harbour seals ...!

 

Last night, another escaped raccoon was caught. Again in a trap cage not far from the zoo. It is the sixth raccoon to have been caught. Five more are still missing. The recovered animals are being cared for behind the scenes at the zoo for the time being.

 

Whereas I am very happy they have been successful to recapture another raccoon, what continues to puzzle me that knowing we have this negative / positive list in the Netherlands for invasive species ..., this is the talk of the town only.

But are we not forgetting to address the bigger picture here? Why are raccoons allowed to be dumped upon zoos to manage a national invasive species issue? All the more so as Dutch national authorities fail to introduce nor implement effective species management policies to remove the raccoon from our wildland habitats. Now if we look at the wider issue across Europe, the situation is not dissimilar. For example, in Russia and Germany the raccoon populations are already way out of control and the issue is phenomal and huge. Here not to mention what either commercial farming or AW activism has achieved in both accidental, willful and illegal release to nature inside Europe of the species.


EU/NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
My reservations are with the above appearing in national newspapers that given the fact the species is invasive in the Netherlands the Dutch authorities continue failing at applying the national legislation on invasive species in our environment. Trapping, confiscation (when illegally maintained in captivity in private collections) and transfer or relocation - ideally - back to their natural range in North America (if possible).

EU-wide and across many European nations both law enforcement and national government deparments are failing to address the real issues with this invasive species. Viz their potential and/or negative impact on native species (food competition, predation et cetera ) and in the spread of zoonosis (with particular reference to rabies).

SOURCES:
Overall EU/EEC outlook
A) The Raccoon and Invasive Alien Species Management
B) EUROMAMMALS home page

Species specific papers
C) Is the raccoon (Procyon lotor) out of control in Europe? - Biodiversity and Conservation
D) Raccoons in Europe: disease hazards due to the establishment of an invasive species | European Journal of Wildlife Research
E) Study shows how raccoons are spreading dangerous diseases around Europe
F) Invasive Raccoons Threaten Europe


POST SCRIPTUM: I do believe this is worthy of its own thread.

 

It appears the Raccoons aren't the only ones escaping Chuchill creek. The North American porcupines have also found an escape route.
Photo made by a visitor on facebook:


Let's just hope the polar bears aren't next...

 

Last Wednesday, a Père David's deer was born for the first time at AquaZoo. This is also the first young for the mother. It is not yet known whether it is a male or a female.

Source: Facebook AquaZoo Leeuwarden

 

Some updates from my visit yesterday:

- Last Monday, a new series of the series 'Us bistetún' (Means our zoo in Frisian) started at the local broadcaster. In this series, the animals and keepers are followed through the highlights of the past few months.

- It has since been made public that the female North American porcupine comes from Familie Park Harry Malter in Belgium. And the pair of bald eagles came from Pairi Daiza and ZooParc de Beauval.

- AquaZoo has recently become smoke-free. Visitors may only smoke in one of the two specially designated smoking areas, out of sight of other visitors (and especially children).

- A new species has been added to the Caribbean reef aquarium, the Pacific cleaner shrimp.


- The escape route of the North American porcupine is now closed with a live wire. The escaped animal spent some time behind the scenes but is now back in the enclosure with the other porcupine and the beavers.


- Both red-crowned cranes and black-necked swans have nests.

- The new red panda enclosure seems to be just about ready. According to the zoo map, they will move to this enclosure from mid-May.