Dudley Zoological Gardens £200k Dudley Zoo revamp

@Benosaurus, thanks for putting that up!

With flamingos I do hope ... the long term plan is to switch to pure-bred flamingos of one or other of the species. The hybrids could remain provided they are sorted reproductively ...

 

Another mythical species? I expect they will be rainbow lorikeets making chattering noises, as chattering lories hardly have rainbow colours.

Alan

 

Like others, I have my doubts as to whether an enclosure that is suitable for
terrestrial Geladas would equally be as suitable for arboreal Sulawesi Crested Macaques. It just doesn`t really make much sense. But I can appreciate the Geladas need for extra grazing.

Monkey-tails - this has been quite a poor exhibit so it is good to see they are putting it to better use and a different lory species is a novel idea.

The Flamingos - personally I think £120,000 is too much to devote to giving them a better enclosure, don`t get me wrong they may well need a better enclosure, but that sum of money spent on that tiny footprint that they currently live on is not really justified. If they are going to do it build them a better enclosure on a better site for a better group of birds, not waste money on a handful of hybrids on a pokey little site, it just isn`t worth it.

 

Do any design and outlay plans exist for the 200,000 GBP refit?

 

Agreed that in order to have the Sulawesi cresteds there, would require some ambitious new plantings and - at the very least - also some climbing structures and a shelter / house.

The geladas can move up in grasslands pretty much anywhere, so are not affected by open terrain exhibits.

 

Does anyone know why it will cost approximately £40,000 to transform the Monkey Tails exhibit into a lorikeet experience? What will the money actually be spent on...nest boxes/ perches/ enrichment/ feeding stations/ building modifications?

 

Work has started on the new macaque/gelada house as well as clearing space for the extended flamingo pool.
Revamp work starts! | Dudley Zoological Gardens

 

The feature is suggesting an extension to the flamingo area. Any ideas here on how the design and landscaping plans will look like?

 

I can't say for sure and this is purely guesswork but it looks like the new larger flamingo house will go where the trees once were, right next to the new macaque/gelada house. They might then extend the pool by about 50% towards the new house.

If they really wanted to increase the size of the pool significantly, then they could use a small bit of space on the visitor's path or cut away a very small chunk of the hillside and build a retaining wall to create more space (this could be why it is costing so much).

 

The slightly revamped flamingo enclosure has been given an alliterative new name... Flamingo Falls. It even has its own logo

Four weeks left... | Dudley Zoological Gardens
(includes a picture of the plans)

 

That logo must have taken at least ten minutes to knock up. Maybe even fifteen. Thank heavens they have a new graphic designer to do this work!

 

What makes me laugh most is that they're going to make it difficult to view them outdoors, by putting up a load of fencing. Then they're going to add a special "outdoor viewing area".

 

A great example of how to throw money away!!
Was all that REALLY necessary ?? I don`t think so.

 

I think that the diagram in this photo shows that the most of the money is not going to be spent on cosmetic improvements: so I trust it will be spent on improving the pool and extending the land area, to allow a larger flock to be kept.

Alan

 

I am sure there are many other areas at the zoo that would benefit from the money. I find it hard to justify spending that amount on a few hybrid flamingos in an area that is quite an awkward and restricted site.
As for the sign............it is just ridiculous.

 

I think the design for the Flamingo Falls as been a little health and safety inspired as many times I have been at the zoo over the years people constantly put there children on the current low lying (from the main path) wall and in most cases actually let go of the children not realising that the drop the other side is greater.

Why wait until a child gets injured just do it before it happens and I also don't like the sign but is that the actual sign they will use or just a show for the public.

On the Lorikeet walk through I think this is just a quick fix for a building in need of either being totally refurbished or even knocked down and replaced with a reptile house and this from a bird lover too.

 

Yes, I think you are probably right about the health and safety angle, zoos are obscessed about it these days.

Regarding the rather pointless sign - I have an issue with zoos naming every single enclosure something ridiculous, it is a simple flamingo enclosure that`s it. Why does every new enclosure have to be themed in this way ? Ok I can understand much larger facilities, or areas containing several enclosures, which are named under one banner. But not small individual enclosures, its just stupid and a waste of money.

 

Wasn't the new gelada/ macaque enclosure supposed to be finished by now? There must have been delays otherwise you'd think they'd have publicised it for the half term holidays.

 

The official launch of 'Flamingo Falls' and 'Macaques on the Bank' is Saturday 26th March.
Saturday's launch day! | Dudley Zoological Gardens

'Lorikeet Lookout' is set to open at Whitsun.
SPRING Zoo Nooz

 

Gardeners have been pruning tree branches inside the new macaque enclosure to prevent escapes. It is set to become their new home from today.

Approximately 800 square foot of turf has been laid in the revamped flamingo enclosure.
Holiday plans | Dudley Zoological Gardens
(includes pics)