Layout of proposed Savannah, April 2016

Mandrills - it looks as though they'll lose the area behind their house which was used in the past when certain mandrills had to be separated. I've often wondered why they didn't open it up and join the two areas together to give them more room, particularly when they had a sub-adult male as well as the dominant one. I agree that the outdoor area would benefit from reconstruction - the addition of a shelter, for instance. They have to compete for the alcoves on the exterior of the house when they're shut outside in the rain.

Upper Aviary - I think this is intended for vultures.

The Ground Hornbills aren't in the other existing aviary now - replaced by Screamers. But that could all change, of course.

Aren't Aardvarks nocturnal? I can't say that I've given them a lot of attention when zoo visiting. Are they usually kept indoors?

A walk-through vulture aviary at least it looks like a walk-though on the plans to me

Chester, Colchester and Regent's Park all keep aardvarks in enclosures with sandy paddocks which they use very little in the daytime - so they are usually seen asleep indoors, although they will wake up if they are fed. Although they are quite big animals they don't need a great deal of space as long as they can dig. If the plan is to scale, they could fit them in, with meerkats (preferably separately) and at least one more species of mongoose too - I'm sure they could house the kusimanses beside them and I'd be sorry to see them go.

Alan

Plans are available on the Torbay Council website:

Torbay Council - Planning - Simple Search

Reference: P/2016/0455

Amongst the various documents, the mandrill enclosure is labelled as such in the Proposed Survey Drawings (doc ref: 3756(12)00-07).

In the document 3756(22)24-04 Meerkat, one of the plans is labelled as "Meerkat & Warthog Building".

I think the idea of a walk-through vulture aviary is really cool.
The only walk-through vulture aviary that I have seen is the one at Budapest Zoo for European Griffon Vultures as well as several other bird species.

Mandrills - phew

Strange about the warthogs I've only had a quick look, but there seems to be a separate aardvark building.

A quote from the environmental report regarding the Badger Survey:

" Due to animal welfare concerns, the results of the badger survey are documented in a Confidential Badger Report that should not enter the public domain."

Something to do with felling trees in the area where badger viewing used to take place and where one of the aviaries will be sited, perhaps?

There's a very nice one at Doue la Fontaine as well - a specific vulture walk-through, which is fantastic, and then the enormous South American aviary which - as far as I remember - has vulture species in addition to many other birds as well.

5 years on and no developments in sight. What will now happen to central part of zoo?

@Kifaru Bwana There have been rumours that the giraffes are moving into the former elephant enclosure, with the zebras moving across to replace the giraffes. Banteng were supposed to be coming to the old camel enclosure, but this was before Covid and the camel house needing specialist repair work. Apart from that, I have no idea now.