Hello, at the beginning of the March 2009 I'd like to visit the Antwerp Zoo and would like to ask anybody for some informations. 1)Is it possible in this time ( about 10 March) observe all animals in their outdoor enclousers? When the weather would been gone wrong, what animal's houses are accessible for the visitors? 2) Does the zoo still keep the great blue turacos? 3) Which subspecies are the gorillas ? I have heard, that zoo holds all 3 subspecies. 4) What kind of duiker is you kept in the zoo? Regarding at ISIS they hold Maxwell's duiker, is it true? Or do all the duikers belong to hybrids among blue and Maxwell's duikers? Thank you for your answer
1. most interesting house (in my opinion ) is the nocturnal house. But there is the reptile house, the aquarium, "vriesland" (=penguins and sea otters), the temple, the hippo-house, the great ape house, monkeyhouse, birdhouse... So even when it's raining there is a lot you can do and see in antwerp 2. In my last visit (about 1,5 months ago) there was still a couple in an aviary next to the zebras 3. That seems to change almost yearly. The male is definately western Old female victoria (the smaller, skinnier female) is definately eastern. The other female (the big one that looks a lot like a male), amahoro could be mountain, could be eastern. She looks so different from victoria that i am inclined to say she is a mountaingorilla. 4. They don't have a pure maxwell. Perhaps there is still a suviving blue x maxwell hybrid, they used to keep. About a year ago they got some blue duikers from burgers zoo in arnhem. I believe those are the only ones in antwerp today. (burgers changed to pure schultzei blue duikers. The blue duikers burgers used to have were "zoo-mix" and had a lot of miscarriages, possibly because of not being pure bred animals. Those animals now live in antwerp so i don't think they have the plan of breeding with duikers soon)
I must admit i love Antwerp as well and especially since a couple of years started to appriciate the collection more. I live right between Antwerp and Rotterdam so I visited both of them a lot already from being very young and I remember how surprised I was that an other zoofreak told me he would die to see Okapi's as I considered to be a standard animal for a zoo . But with years more insight in reality came and i must admit I started to enjoy both more and more.
"The zoo's bird house is world famous for it's ability to keep bird trapped in by light alone" What does this mean?
the visitor area of the bird house is kept darkened while the open-fronted aviaries are brightly lit, hence the birds remain within their aviaries
The systems looks like this: (picture thanks to Brebart.be: Planckendael en Zoo Antwerpen anders bekeken) It's not that impressive but it's a nice system . The visitors area is much darker than in this picture.
it's indeed not that impressive and most species kept in it arent either. Just ones I saw there some oryzoborus angolensis but most of the times it s just goulds or lonchura species there
I would have a question to the Antwerp-Fans, I have heard about the rebuilding of small mammal house to the enclouser for the congo peacocks, does the reconstruction already start up? And what will happen with duikers and babyroussas, will they been given to the other zoos or do they remain at the zoo? Thank you
Yes, the reconstruction is already start up, see the pictures below . The duikers will housed by the okapi's and the babirusas will get a new home on the extension place of the zoo in 2009.
Are the small animals going to stay at the zoo? Where will they go? What is going in the new exhibit?
The Brush-tailed Porcupinecs and the Large-spotted genets are now housed next to the lions in one of the cages. The duikers are housed by the okapi's and the babirusas will get a whole new exhibit. This last one will be ready in 2009. In the former exhibits of this animals, the Congo peacocks will have there a new home in 2009.
I would like to ask all Antwerp-Fans, what time does the sealions show take place? I will visit the Antwerp ZOO in the beginning of the March. Thank you for your reply
As I look on the website of the zoo shows are at 11.15, 13.15 and 15.00h. Hope you like the zoo, don't forget the post your impressions!
I am back from the Netherlands and Belgium, I would like to add my comment to the Antwerp Zoo. I really like zoo's history and the old city zoos, such Artis, Berlin, Basel etc. and Antwerp was no exception, I was really enthusiastic with this zoo, was fascinated about historical animal's building and very nice park area, even though there were many workers in zoo - rebuilding of small mammal house and one of the anoas enclosures, the coypu and ring-tailed exhibits are demolished, I guess,due to the expanding of the zoo, some small works were done in bird's house.I really enjoyed the combination of old and new, the best exhibit, regarding at my opinion, was Nocturama, I was very glad to see sooo active aardvarks and slender lories, the South America exhibit was empty due to the renovatoin, but its inhabitants could be seen in small monkey house. On the other site, some animals like elephants, giraffes, great apes and big cats need much more space, for example, the Egyptian temple is fascinating bulding, but unacceptable for such a big animals. But regarding at the masterplan, the changes will be done in near future, the Antwerp Zoo make a lot of effort to improve the conditions for animals and I am curious of the future development in this fantastic zoo and I will enjoy my next visit.
The birth of the Takin was not mentioned here i see. Well, you can take a peak here then: Zoo Antwerpen
An aardvark was recently born at the zoo, but sadly did not survive long. http://66.196.80.202/babelfish/tran...trurl=http://www.ireneligthart.waarbenjij.nu/
The zoo are claiming a world first with an attempted AI procedure on their female spectacled bear Inca. Zoo Antwerpen
As mentioned in the Blijdorp thread the male sea otter Chuluugi has died while he was in Rotterdam. The AI on Rotterdam's females seemed to have gone successful, so now it's waiting if it will lead to any births, but till then Europe's sea otter population is down to 4.
A hippo has been born at Antwerp Zoo. The father is Hein (Zurich Born) and the mother is Imani (Born in Antwerp). The worrying thing is that she s only 3 years old plus Hein is her father (and her mother is a full sister of Hein ). I hope Antwerp will manage to swap this male for another one.