It is excellent news and well done to the mammal department on what could prove to be a banner year for the zoo and hopefully the successful raising of the otter pups will herald a new news thread
At last! I was getting a little worried that there had been no announcement about the giant otters. I very much hope everything goes well. Alan
I was their yesterday and there was member of staff with a note pad sat opposite the otter enclosure, I guess she may have known then about the pups, but only said that they where hopeful of pups! The under water viewing area is all fenced off to keep things more private for the family. All the best to the future of the pups. I may have even been right a couple of months ago about the rhino I saw that I thought looked pregnant!!
I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw something I couldn’t clearly identify and it is not on show, but I was lucky to see it! I was walking away from the Hunting Dogs towards the Zebras, I then turned my back to the Zebra and faced the Roan Antelope. The Roans where all right back against the fence (they could not have been further from me), behind them I saw another small enclosure with the Kudu in, but behind that was another fenced off part of a yard I think that had something else in it, it was right up against the fence it had horns that looked very much like a male Greater Kudus horns (bear in mind I am squinting to see from this distance) I don’t carry a camera, so no zoom and I foolishly left my mini binoculars in the car. I then thought that the Lesser Kudus may actually be female Greater Kudus and there is a male Greater Kudu separate from the females. Has anyone else seen this ?
New arrival today in the form of a large crate, a photo of which has been posted on Chester's facebook for guesses of it's contents. Stuttgart written on the box but from past experience that doesn't mean it is from there... looks like a hoofstock crate (but too small to be the new elephant bull!) My money is on another Okapi... (though the timing is a bit odd with Stuma now heavily pregnant) Answer to be revealed tomorrow ...and Pootle, Chester haven't got Greater Kudu (only Lesser)
That's what I thought I had read on here, but what I saw can only be described as similar to a male Greater Kudu It wasn't just me who saw it, my missus saw it too ! The horns twisted just like one and the height was right too. It was located behind the Lesser Kudu and the only reason I saw it was because it was right up against a fence, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it at all. I am not saying it is a Greater Kudu at all, but something similar to one at least.. Anyone else seen this ??
I cannot say 100% as it is a long way away, I guess you know only too well how far it is looking from where I was!. I would say if it was a male Lesser Kudu, this individuals horns look a bit too far apart (more like male Greater Kudu) together and it was too tall. However if it had its front too hooves on a gate / fence / feeding trough or something to make it appear taller, then it would be at the height I saw it at, either way it was fenced off from the females. If it wasn't for the Roan being up against that fence of their enclosure I don't think I would have spotted the Kudu at all.
Did it have a beard? Lesser doesn't, greater does. Other possibility is a sitatunga separated from the main group.
It was too far away to see any beards unfortunately. Also the horns where longer than any Sitatunga I have seen before.
Now 7 Chilean flamingo chicks, and one egg visible today. Also 2 Visayan Tarictic Hornbill chicks in the Tropical Realm.
http://www.zoochat.com/42/lesser-kudu-278716/ This is the male Lesser Kudu, Pootle. Don't know if it helps you or not
It is terribly hypocritical, and it just goes to show what a lot of nonsense much of this cloak and dagger stuff actually is.
This is very much controlled speculation - it's really nothing more than a teaser as the real answer will be announced tomorrow. Very different to speculation over something the zoo may never be able(/willing) to confirm. No need to over-analyse, they're just drumming up some interest among their Facebook fans.
If we'd had a bit more notice we could have organised a sweepstake . . . As speculation is in order, I'll plump for another banteng. Alan
there has been a Scimitar Horned Oryx separated in that section for a couple of weeks could it have been this?
