Blackpool Zoo Blackpool Zoo News 2017

No other news in 2017?, besides a new elephant house, that is till now (seemingly).
The zoo has had it's first ever giant anteater birth.


Blackpool Zoo

 

Another piece of news is that the zoo has aquired some Graham's anoles that were bred at Chester.

 

Blackpool have announced the birth of a Gorilla baby on Tuesday 5th September. Parents Bukavu & Miliki. Sex unknown as yet. This is Miliki's 2nd baby at Blackpool but with a long interval of 7 years since her previous youngster Meisie, born in May 2010.

 

Gorilla 'Miliki' and 1 day old infant by gentle lemur posted 8 Sep 2017 at 11:45 AM

I visited Blackpool a week after Miliki gave birth to Meisie in 2010 (there are a couple of images in the Gallery if you look hard enough). I did not visit again until Wednesday this week. I was a little disappointed to see that the Gorilla section of the Ape House was closed for 'essential maintenance'. At the 11 am gorilla talk, the presenter explained that the gorillas were being 'monitored'. She added that as the weather was quite cool and windy, the gorillas were unlikely to come outside much, but they might do so for the scatter feeds. I should add that the gate to the Gorilla Island was closed all day.
I made sure that I saw the first scatter feed just after 11.30, and I spotted that Miliki was carrying a very small infant, as seen in the photo above. I realised how lucky I had been. I managed to catch the presenter after her talk about the penguins, and she told me that the baby had been born on Tuesday morning, but the birth had not been officially announced so she could not mention it in her talk. I confess that I did pass the news on to three other photographers who I got talking to beside the blesbok, and there were rather more visitors at the 2.30 pm scatter feed; some of them must have got better photos than I did, as Miliki kept her distance from my side of the enclosure. As you can see, she was holding the baby very carefully and securely so it was hard to see much of the baby.
I will write more about the zoo and post more photos in a few days time.

 

Funny coincidence about your two visits both being followed by the two births.

 

No, my visit in 2010 was a week after Meisie was born: and I remember asking on our Chat Room if mother and infant would be on show (I think it was zoogiraffe who gave an encouraging answer). I decided to go this week to see the new creatures (anteater infant, blesbok, hornbill and wolves) and to look for a couple of commoner creatures for my next quiz - so the baby gorilla was a very lucky bonus

 

Forgive me.. I'm getting old.... I meant 'just after' the two births. If you go again maybe Njeema will have just had another also.

 

Where about in the zoo are the hornbills kept? I have missed them the past couple of times

 

They are in the aviary beside the aardvarks, with the Stanley cranes. The male black-casqued hornbill stayed in the shelter when I passed the aviary, but I did get a few photos of the female eventually. I will try to post one soon, but gulogulogulo posted this photo of the aviary in our Gallery last month.

 

Any news on where the new elephants are coming from I have a feeling the answer is Twycross. Does anyone think I'm wrong and If known where are they coming from.

 

The Giant Anteater baby has been coming out recently.

Giant Anteater with baby by Komodo99 posted 28 Sep 2017 at 3:59 PM

 

The baby has now been confirmed as a male.

 

0:1 Bornean Orangutan has arrived from Barcelona Zoo. She is called Jingga and brings Blackpool up to 1:4.

 

Have Blackpool said wether they will acquire any lionesses to form a pride with Wallace and khari

 

In may I asked at the lion talk, they want to wait till Khari has been moved b4 Brining in a lioness. Think it was about size of the lion house and being able to keep them separate if needed.

 

Female Asian elephant Kate moved to her new accommodation in Project Elephant earlier this morning. This means that, for now, she will be off-show as she settles into her house. A much more detailed update will be made available later in the week.

Information comes from Blackpool Zoo's Facebook page.

 

Does anyone know what the old elephant house will be used for

 

Rhinos apparently, I'm not sure which type it will be but that's what they've got planned for that area. (I'm assuming it might be Indian rhinos )

 

They were on the waiting list for Indian rhinos but this was 10 years ago now.

 

0:0:1 Pileated Gibbon born on the 29th of November