Visited this small park yesteray and here some news : - Silvery-cheeked hornbill female spend a lot of time in the nestbox ( see Silvery-cheeked hornbills | ZooChat ) - Seen the White-striped dorcopsisses for the first time. Was able to see only the male and its 2 females but the joey was hidding in its mother pouch ( see White-striped dorcopsis | ZooChat and White-striped dorcopsis | ZooChat. They share their enclosure with New Guinea eclectus parrots and masked lapwings. - Only one European kingfisher is left at the collection . After the good breeding-sesult during and an failed breeding-seisun last year, this year they had really bad luck and only one is still alive.
I was just looking through Zootierliste and saw that BestZoo is now listed as the sole European holder of Eastern spotted skunks Spilogale putorius. Does anyone know how many there are, where they came from and when they arrived? I have tried looking for further information to no avail.
They where imported by a large Dutch animal importer what I've heard specifically for Best zoo.. they've imported some other interesting animals over the years
The cheapest way to get there is by bus from Eindhoven station. In 2013, the driver gave me details about how to reach the zoo from the town centre. It is quite a nice walk, but it would have been easy to get lost. It is quite a nice zoo, but fairly small. My friend liked the goats best. We both liked the chicks, which walked across our hands. I liked seeing wallaroos and Chacoan maras for the first time for many years. I think it was also the same time I saw a Japanese squirrel.
BestZoo just got permision to expant and will become about 2 times the current size ! Most noteble new-planned species are giraffes .
I hope that the incree.ased size enables Best Zoo to bring in more unusual species, rather than going down the ABC route. Since my visit in 2013, Best Zoo has obtained meerkats, common squirrel monkeys and common green iguanas, so my hopes may be in vain.
At the same time they obtained spotted skunks, white-striped dorcopsis, dusky pademelon and a blyth's hornbill, so it's not just ABC species in Best
I hope that the extra space will be used for more unusual species. I liked seeing Japanese squirrels, Chacoan maras and wallaroos when I visited the zoo.
There have never been any pademelons in Best Zoo to my knowledge. Squirrel monkeys are not a new addition, they have been there at least 10 years. Another rare species not mentioned here; white-faced ibis, although the animals are currently off display.
Something of a pain, given the fact this is the only ibis in European aviculture i am yet to see and as such it was one of my target species for an upcoming visit this weekend but also somewhat expected given the current bird flu precautions.
Not sure if it's bird flu-related, since the other 2 ibis species were on display. Might as well be climate-related.
I asked a keeper about the ibisses. They are indeed behind the scenes because of the weather. Best holds one pair currently.
- With the bird-flu now over, and the temperatures rising, most animals that spend the last few months behind the scenes are back on show. These are the vulturine guineafowls, the Japanese squirrels, the little bittern, the lilac-breasted roller and the white-faced ibis (I saw just one). - Green iguana has left the collection or has been moved behind the scenes. - The last sitatunga was nowhere to be seen and the signage has been removed. I guess it either passed away or left the park. - 2 golden-headed lion tamarins born.
