Dudley Zoological Gardens Dudley Zoological Gardens in 2019

… The enclosure will be extended to 1.5 acres and incorporate some of the banked woodland to the rear.

It is hoped a breeding group of 3-4 European brown bears, last held at the zoo in 1980, will be arriving from Bojnice Zoo, Slovakia, which takes in orphaned bears.

The bear ravine Tecton will form part of the perimeter of the enclosure, but new modern housing will be built at the opposite end of the paddock. The exhibit will include a large climbing frame.

 

So I take it the mesh fence at the rear of the tiger enclosure (where the public can't go) is of very important historical value as they had no trouble getting planning rights for the indoor extensions on the Tecton Building.

 

Quite the opposite.

The latest planning document is an objection by Twentieth Century Society who want more detail on how the Tecton structure will be impacted before they will agree to plans:

Planning and Building Control Documents


Historic England also objected for the same reason:

Planning and Building Control Documents

There must be only a handful of zoos in the world who are so equally weighed down by their listed structures as Dudley is.

 

Why did they object to the indoor extensions.

 

If this is the case then isn't it time DUDLEY ZOO SAID RIGHT WE'RE OFF and you can look after the listed buildings yourselves, then we will see what happens

 

Because it's not just how the Tecton will change physically, but also how the Tecton's surroundings and viewers perspective of it will change.

This is very unhelpful.

 

Go where exactly ......

 

Anywhere outside of Dudley Council control (like world of Owls have done)

 

This group of females were responsible (I believe) for the death of the original male Pepe. So you are correct in your concern. I agree trying to add a single male would be hopeless. What they would need to do is add a group of two or three strong adult males which are already bonded, possibly by staggering the intros with just some of the females at a time, for balance, until the males had successfully established their dominance over all of them. Possible it would be a complicated and time-consuming process but it has been done successfully elsewhere.

 

I can't quote it but I'm pretty sure this is the plan from what I've heard, even publically they are saying males rather than male.

 

Yes, I've always assumed multi-male was the intention.

 

I don't think they will ever get any males for this group as it's been going on to long now they did say after pepi died that they would be having a few males brought in to help consolidate the group and that's been a few years now but they can't get planning permission to strengthen the perimeter wall leading on to the car park and have been told they would be wasting their time trying to re-apply for planning permission

 

Any evidence or links to these rejected plans? Not sure why the wall parallel to the car park would have any issues with planning.

 

I am going on an ex councillors word and a ex keeper who was working at the zoo at the time.
It as also been brought up on here in the past as the wall is to weak to hold the males and the whole wall would need replacing wasn't cheap 10 years ago so I'm taking it that the whole thing would be to expensive at todays prices.
I would love to see males Chimps at the zoo but unfortunately I think they would have to build another exhibit in another area of the zoo.
They do have 40 acres of unused land just past the Chimp exhibit which they with drew from the market 2 years ago this land could be used for many things but I won't hold my breathe with this management..

 

No evidence on the council's planning application page then?

You say building a new fence would be too expensive for them, but you think they should build a brand new chimp exhibit on undeveloped land?

 

Yes I think a new exhibit would be the answer but again with how much it would cost I think this will be a no go as I'm sure the current council would say no as they seem totally against any sort of collection improving the area just look at World of Owls at Himley Hall with the Council and the supporters of Himley Hall suddenly changing there minds on the proposed improvements

 

You’re not very positive in your view of Dudley, are you? I feel that the zoo, its management, and even the local council, possibly deserve rather more benefit of the doubt than you are allowing them. Very easy to snipe from the sidelines, but unless they really all are a bunch of incompetents, then possibly such sniping is ill deserved.

 

You keep going on about world of owls,but they are alive and well still at their base in Randalstown Northern Ireland and have been for well over 10 years.They have never planned on moving or plan to,I believe what you meant was the World Owl Trust that used to be located at Muncaster!

 

sorry that's right it was the World Owl Trust.

I do have a bit of a thing about Dudley Zoo lately after the PR keep claiming this and that are new ideas when in-fact they have been on the table for years and have been waiting for planning permission.

I certainly have a axe to grind with the Council as I live in the Dudley Council area and have put up with their lies for many years now they promise you this that and the other and when it comes to it they can't do it because they have no money yet they find the money for anything not needed like the road junction in front of my house which no-one ever knew about even though the council claimed their had been over 50 near misses in the last 5 years I live directly opposite the junction and when I pointed this out and when I and 70 other residents pointed this out they said we were lying.

They also promised Colley Gate (b63) a bypass 35 years ago and as yet as not materialized because they turned the plans down but the council ever say it never happened.

I don't snipe from the side as I have attended meeting where they have promised everything just to keep the committee's quiet and when they go to the press the Council just say it never happened and the media believe them and that's the end of it.

They promised the speedway another site if they sold Dudley Wood but every time they put plans in they turn them down.

NEVER BELIEVE A WORD THAT COMES OUT OF DUDLEY COUNCILORS MOUTHS OR PR TEAM.

Rant over.

 

Having a bee in your bonnet about the council's highways department does not mean you should tar the zoo with the same brush; they are different.

Also, with regards to your grievances about the zoo's PR, they will not be the same team running the council's PR. There is also nothing wrong with a public attraction such as a zoo advertising itself to the public.