You learn new things on here everyday. I didn't know that, I presumed it was just some user-friendly name that had been given to them.
I think they must have anticipated the impact of the adults would wear off, but hopefully it would be reignited with a baby Panda. What seems odd is that both adult Pandas have bred previously, though not together. However, some of the American ones e.g. the current Washington female, have had a successful births interspersed with several years of failed attempts, so maybe this is par for the course too.
I had a look on Google Images to find Pelican Crossings (some fun pictures on there) and discovered that the UK also had Panda Crossings, and still has Puffin Crossings, Toucan Crossings, and of course Zebra Crossings.
Panda Crossings aren't around anymore. Anyway my parents (civil engineers) could tell you loads about all of them!
The Pelican exhibit is walkthrough as you walk through the enclosure - and yes, I think that is a bridge - the exhibit is the old duck pond walkway that has been closed for many years. Regarding the pandas, I still wonder if environmental factors have a lot to do with it, I've heard the keepers say that they don't like the wind for example.
Haha I love this argument. I went to the zoo this morning and went through the walkthrough-I personally am happy to accept it as a walkthrough. You enter the main exhibit and walk on paths through the enclosure with pelicans potentially on all sides of you. It just happens there are low glass panels/fencing that keep the paths separate from the enclosure (although not convinced the pelicans couldn't get on them if they really wanted to). There are a few branching paths, some of which are indeed bridges over the pools. In other news-the lemur walkthrough looks nearly ready (again it is the most recent ring-tailed lemur enclosure that is being modified to allow you to walkthrough it). The gentoo breeding season looks to be going well, and a couple of the chicks are looking like they might be leucistic. Wallaby walkthrough looked quite good to me, although a bit sparse on the wallabies as it is quite big.
Tian Tian has conceived again but is not yet confirmed to be pregnant: Giant panda Tian Tian has conceived for a third time - but zoo officials have warned people to "not get too excited" about the pitter patter of tiny cub feet. Implantation, where the fertilised egg attaches to the uterus, has not yet taken place and said it could be months until it is known if a full pregnancy has occurred. Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in March, ahead of an attempt at natural mating between the female and Yang Guang. But experts at Edinburgh Zoo said it was "very early days". The pair were brought to Edinburgh from China nearly four years ago but have yet to birth a cub. The insemination was carried out by a team of three vets, alongside a panda expert from China. Two previous attempts at mating - which can only take place at one specific time of year when hormone levels are at a peak -have been unsuccessful. Breeding pandas is notoriously difficult, both in getting them to become pregnant and carrying the cub to full term. Iain Valentine, director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "Scientific data does suggest Tian Tian has conceived, however this is not pregnancy. Giant panda pregnancies are extremely complex. "Pregnancy begins when implantation takes place and this has not yet occurred. "There are many hurdles to get through yet, so we would request that people do not get too excited at this very early stage." Both Tian Tian and Yang Guang have bred before, although not with each other. Giant pandas practice "delayed implantation" which means the egg is not attached until late on in the pregnancy, unlike humans, and also often have phantom pregnancies. It is likely to be late July or August before experts know whether the panda is actually pregnant. If Tian Tian is carrying a cub, it would be likely to be born in August or September. The pair, who are generally solitary and only meet when mating, are the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said a panda cub would be a major tourism draw for Scotland. He said: "Edinburgh Zoo is one of Scotland's most popular paid-for attractions and following the arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang visitor numbers have rocketed "If Tian Tian does become pregnant and goes on to have a healthy cub, excitement will intensify and images of Edinburgh Zoo will be seen across the world. "This will generate a real buzz not only around the zoo, but also around Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole. "The global media attention is an excellent way to introduce the country to new and potential visitors from all across the globe." The pandas, which are on loan from China for a decade for an annual fee of £600,000, have boosted visitor numbers at the zoo, pushing profits 53 per cent higher within the first year. Hopes have been raised that Tian Tian may be able to give birth after a giant panda back in her homeland gave birth to twin cubs earlier this week following artificial insemination. Kelin had been in labour for two hours before giving birth to a pair of female cubs at a breeding centre in Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ear...nburgh-Zoo-panda-Tian-Tian-has-conceived.html
Nice video from zoo about baby chimps first birthday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7akoCJU7xI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
New Sumatran Tiger announced, to replace Tibor (Who is off to Barcelona) - Jambi from Berlin, born in Dudley Edinburgh Zoo - RZSS Edinburgh Zoo welcomes new critically endangered tiger Of course within 3 posts on Facebook people were making comments about the size of the enclosure.
From the blog; I am pleased to announce that our new conservation corridor has recently opened on the walkway between the Scottish wildcat enclosure and tiger enclosure at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. The new walkway features large panels and interactive displays which will take visitors on a journey of discovery through RZSS’s conservation work. A walk through the corridor will educate visitors about one of Scotland’s rarest species, the wildcat, as well as other larger carnivores such as the Sumatran tiger and snow leopard. It also provides visitors with a wealth of information about species which have been saved from the brink of extinction, plus information on creatures of the sea, the WildGenes laboratory at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and global conservation projects which RZSS is involved in. CONSERVATION CORRIDOR???????? R.I.P ROCK DENS.
I remember the days of excitedly posting news from Edinburgh...... It's a lemur walk through. Edinburgh Zoo - Ring around the ring-tailed lemurs
Pandas off-show? I was planning to visit in a week's time primarily to observe the Giant Pandas. However I have just read on the zoo's website Edinburgh Zoo - Message for pre-booked visitors & online bookings that the pandas may be predominantly off show. If anyone is going next week I'd love to know if they saw pandas so I can work out if my visit would be worthwhile. Also I read there are "Meet the reptiles" and " Meet the Insects" sessions. Do you need a ticket and is it very busy? Thanks
You don't need tickets for the meet the reptile/insects but as it's the summer holidays it is busy. The second session at 2.15 would probably be less busy as it's on a the same time as the penguin parade if you don't mind missing the parade...
Zoo visit Visited the zoo for the first time in about 5 years, having grown up over the last few decades with regular visits. It was busy with no space in the car park- instead you were presented with a incomprehensible (due to no ink in the photocopier) sheet with a mini map of where else to park. Not the best first impression. Overall the zoo has appreciably changed with many of the more dilapidated enclosures having been refurbished or moreso emptied. I didn't see the pandas (I believe the male did intermittently appear) but tbh the zoo's website clearly implied this may be case (Chester Zoo and the new "Islands" could have copied the transparency). Good- The zoo has some truly iconic species/ exhibits. I can't imagine anything as aesthetic as the penguin enclosure or Chimpanzee Budongo exhibit. Koalas not very common outside of Oz so always nice to see. Only one King penguin on the "walk" but hey that was novelty enough. Not a fan of non-live exhibits such as the animatronic dinosaurs but my 3 yr old daughter and most of the other kids loved them. Bad- Number of general species really has decreased. Quite sad (could hear a lot of visitors reminiscing) about "big cat alley" being deserted right in the heart of the zoo. It used to certainly be my childhood highlight. Why they couldn't put smaller cats or other species here I'd love a regular to clarify. The zoo is hilly and you seem to have to do a lot of walking, whereas filling these enclosures would break up the "hike". The walkthrough exhibits sounded great but in reality were pretty sleepy and no closer to the animals. Very few bins apart from the recycling ones near catering areas, hence a bit more litter- Guess cost-cutting? Overall, for me the zoo was ok but not somewhere that I'll make a beeline return visit anytime soon.
