Last month, a twin Golden-headed lion tamarin and a Dybowski sika deer have been born. Also the three Macaroni Penguins doing well. Sadly the egg of the King Penguins is lost. Two of the five Red ruffed lemurs of the Little Monkey House are now housed together with the Ring-tailed lemurs outdoors. The last Viscasha is gone and that enclosure is now rebuild to a second enclosure for slender loris. Okapi Libembe has moved to Köln. The two new Dromedary can now be seen in the outdore enclosure together with the last Bactrian Camel.
The second Dybowski deer of the year is born and also a Goeldi's marmoset. A Western lowland gorilla, named Mambele, of the Hannover Zoo is moved to the Antwerp Zoo this week. She is already introduced by the male Western lowland gorilla Kumba and they are doing well at the moment. Next step are the two Eastern lowland gorillas Amahoro and Victoria.
The four gorillas are housed together now and are doing well. The biggest news of this week, is that the African Lions are in their new enclosure now, after almost 2 years of renovating! Yesterday the male Victor may outside for the first time, but he did that only for a short time. Afterwards he only looks out of his door. Today it was the moment for the twe females Maouli and Caitlin. Both have more confidence than the old male and were the whole morning outside. Victor had that chance in the afternoon, but only go for 5 meters outside and then back inside. When he has investigated the whole enclosure, he will housed together with the two females, because in the old enclosure, he was attacked many times by the females. I'm totally exiting because it's the most beautiful renovated place of the Zoo in the last couple of years. For the first time I can get the lions on a photo with grass and rocks. This is an example of a modern enclosure in an old city zoo which has to deal with strong monumental rules. Looking out of his door... Like they are living for years in the enclosure... A view of one side of the enclosure, with lions... One of the females...
A great blue turaco hatched in the African rainforest aviary (close to the zebra enclosure). Only 4 institutions in Europe hold this species.
More turaco news from Antwerp: - 2 more great blue turaco chicks hatched but didn't survived - 2 Senegal turaco chicks - 2 Edmin turaco chicks - 2 Fisher turaco chicks earlier this year the white-crested turaco had chicks too. Only violet plaineater and white-cheeked turaco with no births so far this year.
Time for a little construction update: After the summer, Antwerp has begun with a major renovation of the old Harbor Seal (and former Elephant Seal) pool and the area around it. The pool before the demolition. The demolition on October 11, 2011. The new pool will be longer and deeper. Because of the demolition, the Dalmatian Pelicans are (temporary) moved to Planckendael. On the old wall you see here, there will normally be a waterfall after the works Also a river is getting build. In connection with the works, also the road between the Harbor Seals, African Lions and Reindeers is renewed. Also a new rock will be build just in front of the Reptile House. Together with the renovation of the monumental pool, Vriesland (home of the penguins) is closed for a little renovation (education, etc.). Also the Aquarium will be closed once again in a short time. Some tanks (renovated last years) are damaged already.
Its my guess maybe the old male is so cautious about coming outside not so much because of the new design but more because he's still nervous of being attacked by the females? It would explain why they were much bolder too.
Maybe, but I guess not. When he was a little shy to come outside in his new enclosure, he was alone. A few days later he was walking around the whole enclosure together with one of the females (Maouli, the one who is less agressive). Caitlin, the couples daughter, is still not housed together with them, but the couple is doing well.
The training of the transport of the elephants to Planckendael, has began this week. For the youngsters, there is a permanent box in front of one of the doors of the stables. Through the day, the elephants can walk outside normally. And an overview of the works of the Harbor Seal Pool:
@Hippo Thank you for the recent news from Antwerp. Do you know how many hamlyn-monkeys (gender, name etc.) Antwerp Zoo is keeping at the moment?
Your welcome. 1 male and 1 female at the moment. I don't know any names etc. of them. The group has undergone many changes the past years (2.4 some time ago. The old 1.2 by the gorillas and 0.2 + 1.0 new in the Little Monkey House, now only 1.1 in the Little Monkey House).
Yes, they are all going to Planckendael. Which is not surprising considering they are keeping a female group with offspring and there's no room for a bull and Planckendael is part of the same organisation. Plans for now is that Antwerp will keep two or three young bulls, after adaptation of the exhibit.
I'll do my best, but I promise nothing. Yes, the 5 females goes to the sister parc of the KMDA: Planckendael. Planckendael will open in a few months one (or maybe the) biggest Asiatic Elephants exhibit of Europe. At the end of February, the indoor enclosure will be ready and a few months later the outdoor enclosure. Together with Hussein, the bull of Hamburg, it will be the start of a breeding group. Antwerp will do a quick and little renovation of the current exhibit and hold 2 young bulls. After a few years, they will build a fantastic new enclosure for elephant bulls in Antwerp.
Fantastic new elephant enclosure in Antwerp?! That is yet to be seen. There is no space for anything that could resemble a good elephant enclosure, let alone a "fantastic" one, unless they give up the idea to keep elephants AND giraffes (AND gorillas AND chimpanzees...) in Antwerp. Bull groups of just 2 young bulls don`t work very well, so a good bull elephant enclosure needs space for at least 3, better 4 bulls, needs to be safe for adult bulls, and the possibility to divide the outdoor space in 2 outdoor enclosures in case one bull becomes incomatible with the others and has to wait for transfer. I cannot see Antwerp fulfilling these conditions due to lack of space. They are doing the right thing by sending the family group away, they shouldn`t invest millions into another substandard, while too-small elephant facility.
I know what you mean, and you are right in some way. But no one knows what the plans are for the new exhibit, because is too far away in the future. So nobody can deside already what it will be. Fact is that the new exhibit will be bigger and, the most important, will have new stables. That is already for me een huge improvement for Antwerp. And by the way, I don't know many big Elephant bull enclosures in Europe (OK, for one bull most of the times). They are most of the time small and far from bigger then the current elephant exhibit of Antwerp. A New exhibit wil be at least 2 times bigger than the current one, I guess. There is space for such an exhibit I think (maybe not with giraffes and chimpansees (I don't know if the gorillas will be housed in the zoo in the future), but that is another discussion). And the space is available. The current Kids playground, 't Stokstaartjes Restaurant (and the Great Apes building, but you hear many stories of it) + expansion area may demolished as one of the only things in the garden. Fact is, Europe need more facilities for (young) Elephant bulls and a zoo like Antwerp is for that a good solution, but maybe not the best.
An Aardvark was born on January 6. It's called "Nuru" and hopefully the first succesfull offspring after the previous 3 offsprings of the female all died within one month. The female has yet not enough milk, so the young Aardvark is getting some extra. The link with a video and some pictures: ZOO Antwerpen | Nieuws
An update of the renovation of the Harbor Seal exhibit. On the leaning rock, you gonna have a viewpoint of the Zoo. On this picture, you can see where the waterfall must come.
