Like your idea, but maybe the bears wouldn't - what would they do all day without any tapir to attack?!
I have always admired Paignton's outdoor area but at the moment only one island is 'fit for purpose'. The small one has no climbing facilities at all, unless they fancy shinning up a thin, bare tree trunk. Mali and infant are normally on the large island, so she's the only one benefitting from the set up. So, until things change, I actually prefer Durrell's islands - access for all the orangs, climbing opportunities, places to hide.... As for gibbons, Paignton will have to acquire some first (unless they move the 3 Lars from their long established island)
So was I.... Both Chester and Jersey need a male though so maybe there is still at least a partial hope. Does SL only have 1.1 left now?
I don't really count the small island. Would agree that Jersey's two more equal-sized islands allow better organisation of their animals though.
Hi all! The new bear is currently named 'Bahia' and hails from Tierpark Zoo, Berlin. She will arrive in August, and joined at a later date by a male, who's origin I'm not yet allowed to talk about. If you like, I'll upload a picture of her in the gallery... she's beautiful, and we're all very much looking forward to her arrival. We've been filming the refresh of the enclosure too... 18 ton trunks for perching, using a 70m mobile crane... we're hoping that the new layout will make a great 'spectacle' (oh... that was terrible....). Our orangutan islands are improving all the time... we've just added a new gibbon 'jump across' area, which has them doing exactly that... really impressive to watch. Last September, we added 45 nine metre poles, and have gained yet more height and 3D 'space' for the orangutans and gibbons.
'Tis live... I'll also add some images of the gorilla shelter that was mentioned earlier in this thread, that I took with my iphone whilst installing webcams on the gorilla building ceiling the other day... ..anything else you'd like an image of, please do let me know!
A couple of good shots of the Orangutan island(s) from a perspective that shows the updated climbing equipment etc would be great. (orangutans not obligatory!) And one of the renovated Speccie Bear enclosure when its complete?
The bear enclosure will have a time lapse video... some of it shot from the hook of the crane! Looking forward to that being finished! I'll get some good shots of the Islands at some point this weekend for you.
Hi Gigit... from next Monday, we will be asking for £1 per suggestion, and opening it up to everyone on our social media, as well as visitors to the 'Orangutan Islands' during 'Durrell Day' weekend (13th and 14th of July) when adults can enter for £5 and kids under 14 go free. We hope this will mean a fair few nice suggestions, as well as some funding for orangutans... both ours and SOCP's in Sumatra.
Dana's baby I've entered my suggestion Orang-u-name P.S. I should have added the name - 'Joy', because it sums up her birth.
Chough release update I read the June update/blog for the Choughs in the 'Birds on the Edge' section and it says, that due to their moulting, an opportunity has now arisen to release them. I presume its a typo and should be not arisen, as it says the radio transmitters have been sent away for retesting and they are also asking for tracking volunteers(?) to start in August, indicating the birds won't be released before then. Correct?
Dana's baby now has a name! The votes are in and the winning name was.... KeaJaiban (or Kea for short) meaning Miracle
Our two sub-adult Komodo dragons have be exported to Beauval Zoo, France. Whilst at Durrell they underwent 'target training', and were successfully habituated to follow an orange target between enclosure and crate, to stand still on weighing scales, and be examined. Their new keepers should find them a real pleasure to work with, but our staff will genuinely miss them. Incredible animals. Meanwhile, we are expecting two new juveniles any day now, and the process will begin again once they are through quarantine.
Chough Release. Is there anything you can tell us about the delayed Chough release and roughly when it might happen now? The blog has gone very quiet since May-the only recent entry is about a man-size puppet chough called Arthur (freaky- its not you inside the puppet is it?) and refers to the release birds only vaguely.
Hi Pertinax, thankfully I am way too big to be 'Arthur'! The choughs have completed their moult, and transmitters are about to be re-attached to their tail feathers in preparation for the first 'soft' release... any time now, and I will, of course, let you know.
Many thanks- it must have really thrown a spanner in the works logistics-wise when they moulted unexpectedly like that. I thought it might have been in your job description- 'needs to be able to dress up as man-sized Chough'...
Sadly not! I've just heard from Liz though, and an August release is looking very unlikely, as their tails aren't growing in a quickly as predicted. It's certainly no easy task, this project.
