If you look at the plans for the new Grasslands area you will see that there will be a lot of construction near the hunting dog paddock, and that whole area of the zoo will have to be closed off during some stages of that process. This will obviously affect many species, but moving the cheetahs and hunting dogs will minimise the disturbance for those species and allow them to remain on show throughout.
I understand this, I just don't understand why the zoo is advertising the cheetahs being moved in a way that would be similar to advertising a new species or exhibit entirely? It just seems unusual, but there aren't any new projects for next year so this takes the focus of the public?
I thought the signs were bit excessive when I first walked past them, but I didn't realise they were making way for the dogs. Now I see it as just a big sign for those visitors who might not be up to date with movements around the zoo. No big deal really.
I think it might also help so that people don't think it's a neglected/empty part of the zoo? They often do this with aviaries that temporarily are empty - saying that their animals are on the move. This doesn't appear to be that different - for the regular zoo-goer that area would probably appear more empty - more pademelons like in Islands, another pudu enclosure like by the jaguars, and then yeah two empty enclosures. It helps the visitors to not think any part of the zoo isn't being cared for as much as the rest.
Perhaps the last 2019 report: the Lady Amherst's Pheasants are now in the waterfowl nursery aviary; meanwhile in the Aquarium the Rainbow Shiners have crossed the aisle and are now in the tank formerly occupied by a range of Indian barb species; the former Shiner tank now houses shoals of four species of Mexican livebearer.
Oh, and I was advised by a ranger that the Coquerel's Sifakas should be arriving from Duke next year; the delay I'm told is due to the backlog of animal transfer paperwork which resulted from the US Government shutdown.
Sorry: next year as in this year. I was told the news on Monday, when this year was next year. If you see what I mean.
