The Guereza left the zoo to be replaced by King colobus, 4 males arrived recently from Poznan (originally from Blackpool), as Poznan will start a breeding group. Another new mammal addition are 1.1 Nile lechwe from Hodenhagen, which live in the former Bukhara deer enclosure, which has seen the soil being completely replaced after the Deer left after issues with TB. The last remaining Balabac mousedeer left for Wroclaw. The zoo is temporarily without tigers as well, as the enclosure is being renovated, the remaining male went to Schwerin.
In the latest issue of Zoo Grapevine & International Zoo News there is an article titled 'Conservational Herpetology at Cologne Zoo' that is 5 pages long. Of interest to me was a full list of approximately 60 species to be found in the zoo's Reptile House as of April 2019, including many rarities that I don't encounter very often in Reptiles Houses in the U.S. (if at all). A selection of rarities (at least as far as American zoos are concerned): Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle, Chinese Cave Gecko, Marbled Gecko, Many-lined Sun Skink, 9 species of monitor lizard, Rough-scaled Python, New Guinea Sand Boa, Tartar Sand Boa, Rhinoceros Ratsnake, Brown Kukri Snake, Chinese Giant Salamander, Cayenne Stubfoot Toad, Bony-headed Toad, Yellow Stream Frog and a few others. Are some of those species fairly common in European collections? How would Cologne Zoo's Reptile House compare with many other similar buildings in Europe? I've heard that the zoo is exemplary and that the Reptile House/Aquarium/Insectarium is one of the highlights.
The majority are rarities even for us was very pleased with the reptile house myself when I visited last year.
In terms of diversity the reptile house in probably only second behind the one in Wroclaw with regards to diversity. Cologne is however pretty unique in its focus on conservation and the breeding results in Cologne are self-explanatory... Only few other zoos in Europe come close in collection size and exhibit quality in their reptile house, only Berlin, Frankfurt, Antwerp, Vienna and Zurich come to mind for central Europe....
Even it is against my local patriotism heart, I have to disagree ref. "collection size" and "Zoo Zurich". Zurich (even if you include Masoalahalle) can not mess species wise with the others you have mentioned. On the other hand, Zoo Leipzig has a very good collection of reptiles and amphibians (Reptile House and Gondwana) as well as Stuttgart. And then remember the good old days of Riviera Hall Rotterdam and Tierpark Berlins Snake Farm...
For Zuerich it is more the overall quality of the terraria, in terms of species richness it lacks behind, just as Stuttgart lacks behind in design, though the collection is pretty comprehensive.
I always put Berlin Zoo, Zurich and Koln in a league of their own in terms of exhibit quality and quantity. Perhaps Zurich does have less but it's still sizeable. Frankfurt is charming but nowhere near as big I think. Berlin TP had quantity but the actual terrariums were not that pretty.
But nor were they actually bad at all, from what I recall - they weren't too small for the inhabitants and provided a fair bit of scope for them to hide from view, for instance.
For the first time, since the "Hippodom" opened in 2010, a hippo was born at the end of last week. It is supposed, that it is a male, parents are Jenny (29) and Albert (26).
I think you are doing Koelner reptile house an injustice its conservation and breeding results speak volumes! BTW: PD to me is a nice zoo yes ..., but too much emphasis on theming multi culti lesser quality on animal exhibits and generally somewhat postage stamp collection fitting animal-wise ..... Enough talk on comparisons now, back to zoo news proper!!!
According to Zootierliste, Cologne recently acquired at least 4 species of BoP’s. Does anyone have more information, like are there any birds on show?
From what I'm aware, the listings are indeed accurate if they go on-display it would be a massive temptation-factor for me to return, given the fact I have never seen Magnificent, and never got photographs of Red! Never seen Lesser either, mind you - but that's getting rectified soon.
