Birth news: A Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) was born at the park a week ago! Keepers are hand-rearing the animal since its mother didn't try to rise it. The newborn calf has contact with other gazelles so it doesn't grow detached from its species and it will be released back with the herd to the wet savannah in a month or so.
News: Sortuda, the park's matriarch Southwest African lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi) has passed away. Back in September, she started developing a mane, and vets decided to make a diagnosis on what was going on. Due to this, she was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, provoking her a hormonal alteration, so they were retired. She reacted well to this operation. She was doing relatively fine until her teeth started bleeding back in January, which was the reason keepers took action again. Sadly, after this checkup, she was diagnosed with maxillary osteosarcoma with lung metastasis. This is a kind of malignant tumor that doesn't have any kind of treatment. She was well taken care of and provided the proper medication she needed, but with the strong deterioration she has been under these last days the decision of euthanasia was taken.
New additions: A bachelor herd of four Mountain bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) has reached the Bioparc from Zoo Frankfurt! This herd consists of a dad and his three sons.
In my last visit in June 10th, I suspected that new individuals has to come, because the exhibit had empty.
News: Kibo, the park's 44-year-old African bush elephant bull living at the Bioparc has passed away suddenly. He was doing fine the day before until his sudden passing the next day. This has been a big emotional shock for both keepers and the rest of the herd. He will be missed.
An unfortunate loss for the zoo, he was an interesting specimen with his single tusk and will be a heavy loss for the keepers as well.
Birth news: Two Cape porcupines (Hystrix africaeaustralis) have been born at the Bioparc! They have been rejected by their mother, Pincha, so keepers are hand-rearing them. These two individuals will leave to Bioparc Fuengirola since the zoo already keeps a large group of this species.
Birth news: A male Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) has been born at the BioParc! His birth has been very supervised due to being the mother's first offspring.
Birth news: A Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) has been born at the BioParc! This is the second individual of this species born at the park. It's been born in the exhibit shared with mountain bongos, Natal red duikers, and black-crowned cranes.
News: Bioparc Valencia in "countdown" for the birth of the first African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) at the park! The need to address the ex situ conservation of these endangered species has led two years ago to resort to artificially inseminating one of the females. For this, Bioparc relied on specialists from the "Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research" (IZW) in Berlin, the only professionals in the world who have successfully practiced this complicated technique. The technical team of the Valencian park has been implementing all the necessary protocols to guarantee the well-being of both the pregnant female and the rest of the members of her group. A specialized work team has been formed with the aim of favoring the natural behavior of the pachyderms at all times and, at the same time, controlling the health of the future mother and the evolution of the pregnancy. Improvements have also been made to adapt the enclosures in anticipation of the needs of the different stages of pregnancy, birth and the first weeks of the expected offspring. The veterinary team continues with the exhaustive hormonal follow-up through blood tests, which is being essential to know the proximity of the birth. In all these processes, precautions have been taken with specific shifts and the future mother is monitored 24 hours a day. In short, everything is ready in this "countdown"; although with caution and emotion from all those involved since both the female and the Bioparc staff are "first timers".
I don't have an answer for that question, maybe @KEEPER might have more information as our dear Valencian resident.
Earlier, the zoo announced that it was trying to artificially inseminate one of the cows (Miri). So the father will be a wild bull.
Amazing news! A shame I’ll probably miss it, now I’m not living in Valencia but is there any information on when she’s due?
