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Battersea Park Children's Zoo Battersea Park Childrens Zoo news thread

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Shez, 26 Jul 2009.

  1. OstrichMania

    OstrichMania Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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  2. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The zoo have welcomed Fea's flying frog to the collection.
     
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  3. Crowthorne

    Crowthorne Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Vera, a Violet Turaco hatched at the zoo in 1992, and presumed to be the oldest of her species in the UK, has died at the age of 28

    Security Check Required
     
  4. The_melford_manatee

    The_melford_manatee Well-Known Member

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    Does the zoo still have Rhea?
     
  5. pipaluk

    pipaluk Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Not when I was there 3 years ago and they aren't on their website
     
  6. The_melford_manatee

    The_melford_manatee Well-Known Member

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    I last visited 5 years ago(ironic as I live in London) and they were there.They are likely gone now then.
     
  7. Crowthorne

    Crowthorne Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    In awful news, the zoo was broken into overnight, taking on heavy damages. The police are launching an investigation.

    Security Check Required
     
  8. oflory

    oflory Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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  9. oflory

    oflory Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Longer statement from FB:

    Tuesday 18th August Incident Statement:

    Sadly, Battersea Park Children’s Zoo was broken into last night. The intruders caused significant damage across the site.

    As well as breaking into our shop, cafe and offices, they attempted to release numerous animals from their enclosures, leaving the majority of our animals terrified by the ordeal.

    We can confirm that all animals bar two yellow-crowned parakeets and an English old spot rabbit have been safely returned to their enclosures. We believe that the rabbit has been stolen from the zoo by the intruders, whilst the missing parakeets have been located to a nearby tree adjacent to their enclosure. We hope to have these back in their enclosure soon.

    Apart from the rabbit, no animals left the perimeter of the zoo.

    BPCZ will remain closed today (18th) and tomorrow (19th). We plan to reopen at 10:00am on Thursday 20th.

    The whole team would like to thank everyone for their support at this distressing time.

    I would personally like to thank our animal team for their professionalism during this incident.

    Edward Heap
     
  10. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  11. LemurKeeper4321

    LemurKeeper4321 New Member

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    The zoo has shared that four critically endangered Bali starlings have hatched at the zoo as part of the EEP for the species.
     
  12. amur leopard

    amur leopard Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I visited yesterday for the first time in a long while and have a few notes to make:

    In addition to the animals listed on ZTL, the zoo holds (al the below were seen and signed yesterday):
    • Mammals: Six-banded armadillo.
    • Birds: Swan goose, Common eider, Eastern grey-crowned crane, Orange-winged amazon, Turquoise-fronted amazon and Zebra finch.
    • Reptiles: Blue spiny lizard, Eastern casquehead iguana, Corn snake.
    • Inverts: Mexican redknee tarantula, Sun beetle and Madagascar hissing cockroach.
    However, the zoo does not have the following species listed on ZTL:
    • Mammals: Northern Luzon giant cloud rat (not signed, not seen), Pallas's squirrel (not signed, not seen), Siberian chipmunk (not signed, not seen) and South American coati (not signed, not seen).
    • Birds: Violet turaco (not signed, not seen)
    • Reptiles: Common box turtle (not signed, not seen)
    A net gain for the zoo on the whole I think, although I was disappointed not to see the squirrels or cloud rats as both are lovely species.

    Otherwise, I found the zoo to be a lovely little place, with some really nice exhibits which were, at times, even too big. The hedgehog and owl mixed exhibit was great, with a simulated old barn house with a rusty tractor and other farmyard implements, but was just a bit too big with a few too many hiding places, making the animals very difficult to spot - it is however superb for the animals. The zoo appears to make a large breeding population of mynas and kakarikis, great news for both species, as well as a very active pair of wildcats, some very noisy squirrel monkeys, a couple of very shy polecats and a superb exhibit for at least 12 harvest mice.

    Could someone with the sufficient status change the ZTL for the zoo? Much appreciated :)
     
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  13. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Great report - thank you!
     
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  14. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Not entirely a surprise given all three of these are on the banned list of invasives within EAZA, and therefore weren't being allowed to breed and wouldn't have been replaced.

    A pity, though.
     
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  15. Rajang21

    Rajang21 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Interesting note about the cloud rats, and a shame. They were signed but not visible when I visited on July 26th.

    There was a note on the former coati enclosure that the last elderly individual had recently passed away; the enclosure was temporarily housing Azara’s agouti.
     
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  16. amur leopard

    amur leopard Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Yes, I thought that exhibit was better suited to a more arboreal animal given the high electric fence, large trees etc. Any idea what they will replace them with? I'd personally love to see something like a North American porcupine in there.
     
  17. Paradoxurus

    Paradoxurus Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Not quite. EAZA haven't deemed these invasive. The ruling is an EU-wide law that covers every institution (zoo, private keeper etc). If anything EAZA are seeking exemptions to the ban on breeding for some species on the schedule. The UK continues to impose a ban despite Brexit, however, I believe that there are moves afoot to remove some species from the schedule in the UK...
     
  18. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    This is very welcome news!
     
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  19. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    I knew the EAZA deer TAG have been opposing the inclusion of muntjak (with some success if I recall rightly) but had been under the impression they'd otherwise embraced it; very glad to hear I was incorrect!

    But yes, my writing "EAZA" previously was a complete brainfart on my part :p
     
  20. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Fifty harvest mice born into a breeding programme run by Battersea Park Children's Zoo have been reintroduced to the wild at Horsenden Hill in Ealing, West London where habitat has been restored.

    Information comes from the Battersea Park Children's Zoo Facebook page.
     
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