Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2014

The big question over the Koala joey has finally been answered today... it's a Bruce Statement from the zoos Facebook

It's a boy!

The UK’s first ever koala joey has been sexed by keepers at Edinburgh Zoo, and it’s a boy! He has been named Yooranah, an Indigenous Australian word meaning “loving”.

 

Does this have any implications for his future at Edinburgh? Given his mother is the only female at the zoo will he move on when he is mature or will Edinburgh get new females and lose some of their current males?

 

Not to nit-pick, but I would like to see zoos identify which Aboriginal language this comes from, considering that there are literally hundreds across Australia and even several in the Sydney area, rather than just say that this is a generic Aboriginal word (it would be the same calling a white rhino a 'South African' name even though there are many languages in South Africa).

#rant over

 

RZSS has received a £100'000 donation from the peoples postcode lottery.

RZSS Blog | All the current happenings at Edinburgh Zoo, Highland Wildlife Park and RZSS.

 

Also in that blog-Tian Tian won a panda award - best panda outside of China or something like that.

I had a short visit yesterday afternoon. Thought the zoo was quite busy despite the fairly poor weather, people still queuing for the pandas in the rain! Not too much news, just some little tidbits:

The new Cock of the Rock is out in brilliant birds. He is being closely watched by the volunteers who have been charged with keeping him away from people (hand reared-he was taken off show after landing on visitors heads). Apparently he is already much calmer and staying off people/the rope fences much more after just a few days so hopefully he will be able to stay on show-he's a stunning bird and more active than the previous male.

Not sure if anyone has yet mentioned the changes to the entrance way of b-birds? It is now mostly aquarium. Can't remember all the species but figure of 8 puffers, blind cave fish and some banded archer fish were definitely there (the archers in what will become a very small space as they grow as currently they are tiny!). The leaf-cutter ants remain (& their rope goes over the archer fish tank so I presume the idea is they will shoot and eat the ants!?), as do the dart frogs. Adds some variety to the zoo anyway (although of course loses some inverts & reptiles and fewer exhibits than previous).

Barbary macaques were off show-issues with the enclosure, as was one of the golden cats but looked like they were just rearranging that enclosure. Koalas was very busy each time I popped in despite joey being mostly hidden-spoke to a keeper at the end of the day-they are expecting him to be at the zoo for at least a year but possibly more as they have the space.

 

Thread here about the panda awards: http://www.zoochat.com/2/giant-panda-zoo-awards-2013-a-351093/

Would be good to have a discussion about their purpose there.

 

Adana, the 3 month old pygmy hippo, was found dead in her enclosure on the 28th of January

 

The announcement said the keepers had noticed she was off her food for the last couple of days,

 

Now for some good news-anyone visiting the zoo soon be sure to visit the Banteng-they have a baby! It looked tiny, no keeper around to ask and no announcement yet so I assume very young-so fingers crossed it does well

 

Edinburgh's female Amur Leopard has arrived safely at Helsinki this afternoon
Korkeasaari

 

does edinburgh still have the clouded leopard/clouded leopard enclosure?

 

Was it Helsinki zoo the female amur leopard arrived from to begin with? I knew that the amur leopards really didn't get on in Edinburgh.And has anybody actually seen this clouded leopard?!!!!

 

It was - she's returned to form a new breeding pair with the young male they got from Tallinn a while ago

 

I saw the clouded leopard twice for about 20 seconds each time with about 5 mins inbetween-she literally came out of the indoor area walked to the side of the enclosure turned and went back in both times. Shortly after a keeper came out from by the indoor areas so I assume that's what flushed her out.

Is there any news at to whether Ed is getting a new amur leopard to try to form their own pair again? Or on the amurs moving to highlands-that was the plan at one point wasn't it?

 

It was, in the area between the tigers and the Visitor Centre (to the North of the Snow Monkeys), but it was put on the back burner when the two cats were incompatible (i.e. hated each other)

 

Happy landing . . .
http://ismobilea.thirdpresence.com/dls/t/watch.jsp?org=1&iid=1057954

 

After 5 years in Edinburgh the Guinea Baboons are now in the process of being returned to Paris... Last week 40 of the 45 were shipped back to Paris without incident. However one gave birth the day before the transfer so she, her baby and another 0.1.2 were left behind for company.. they will leave as soon as the mother and baby are ready to travel (Edinburgh will then go out of the species)

Le groupe historique de babouins de Guinée de retour au Parc zoologique | Parc Zoologique de Paris | Francetv info