Burgers' Zoo free-ranging species in Burgers Bush, Desert and Mangrove

I linked to the list in this topic on a zoo page on Facebook (Dutch site "Dierentuinen onze hobby") today and one person was fairly dismissive of the list, stating that it was very correct at all.

I'm sure all of us are aware that the African Darter passed away earlier this week.

According to this person other species that are no longer present are the white-faced whistling ducks, Lyle's fruit bat and the Amazonian milk frog. Also only one species of anolis would (still) be present.

I'm not sure what this person's source is or what he is basing his statements on, but I thought I'd mention it. Not sure which source I should trust at this point, even if Zoochat to me sounds preferable over Facebook...

As for the people who have seen many of the species in the ecodisplays: how have you succeeded at doing so? Not having been very succesful at all during past visits I'd really like to see more during species during my future visit (kinda stressing myself out about this a part to be honest, feeling a bit inadequate as a zoofan), but I think I could do with some tips as far as techniques, areas et cetera. Keep in mind that I'm not planning to spend all days only in the ecodisplays, as I can only get to Burgers' Zoo maybe once a year to once every few years.

 

The species incorrectly mentioned would be animals of which only one or a few (sometimes very old) animals are left. The last information on the lyle's fruit bat that I know the zoo provided was in an article about bats in the Bush in the Harpij in 2015. It said there were only a handful left, all of them at least 16 years old. I don't know if there are any left at the moment.

As far as the frogs go, I don't think they left, so either to population the Bush has died out or they are assumed to be absent because no-one sees them. (they are nocturnal, which doesn't help).

I don't know any details about the anoles, other than that A. marmoratus is still abundant.

Even if they all the "mistakes" are indeed not true anymore, they are relatively recent developments, and in many cases about species the zoo hardly provides any information on. Given they represent a handful of cases in a list with over 100 species, I wouldn't call it very incorrect, merely a little outdated.

 

A. sagrei is definitely still present as well, I saw at least 3 of those in the caiman section on my visit on the 4th of September... I don't think I saw whistling-ducks this visit, but I did definitely see them last year, so they could just have been hiding. The frogs and bats I've personally never seen, so I couldn't tell you if they're still there or not.

 

The ducks were removed during the Bird flue, I thought they would have been put back by now, but I am not completely sure.

Nobody has ever seen the frogs I think, but dozens have been introduced about 15 years ago. The International Zoo Yearbook lists 3 amphibian species kept at Burgers' Zoo, 2 of which are the Colorado toad and the Montserrat whistling frog (Eleutherodactylus), the third I always assumed was the Milk frog.

I am quite sure I saw a Lyles' fruit bat in 2016/7, but I can't remember them from my last 2 visits. As @Mr.zootycoon mentioned all Lyles' fruit bats in the Bush are descendants from the breeding group that was kept in the nocturnal house until 1999, so they are old if still around.

With the anoles I am not completely sure whether the small brown anoles that are common in the Bush are still A. sagrei (as they were listed on ISIS) or just young A. marmoratus....

 

Eol lists the maximum lifespan for Lyle's fruit bat at about 20 years, so it is possible that one or a few are still around, but if so they are very old indeed.

 

@lintworm I saw a male A.sagrei displaying (fairly large, brown, with bright orange/reddish dewlap), which is something I'm fairly sure juvenile anoles don't do, and looks very different to displaying adult A. marmoratus.

 

The whistlingducks are back on the capybara beach from what I saw last sunday

 

If anybody is visiting the zoo soon, the Lyles fruit bat favorite trees have always seemed to be the high trees around the capybara, the Cocacola house and the restaurant.

In terms of where to look, except from the obvious patience and looking up:
In the Desert the shrubs between the pond and the bobcat normally host quite a few birds. Additionally the bird feeder next to the pond can be a good place. The Lawrence goldfinches can be anywhere, but they and the quails are often seen around the Roadrunner aviary and the T-rex.

In the Bush, you should preferably be there at 9 am. A good place to start is the lowest restaurant terrace (next to the bridge at the water). Normally you'll see some of the bigger and common species from there and the Bush terrace is also a good place to find the Pheasant pigeons. Additionally there can be loads of birds in the path close to the roof. This is where you'll normally find the Brazilian tanager and around the wooden bridge is a good place to look for Rose-bellied bunting. The viewing point next to the Ocean is your best bet at seeing the Green imperial pigeons and the Leafbird. The leafbird is often in the roof construction.

 

Many, many thanks for your great tips, lintworm!

I'm definitely going to try those things and let's hope I'm in luck and see at least a few species.

 

Visited Burgers' Zoo this weekend. Some updates on the free-flying animals:

- There appear to still be some Kissing gourami in the waterfall pond in the Bush (hidden in between the floating vegetation)
- I did not see any White-faced whistling ducks
- I saw my first Chestnut-bellied seedcracker, a female in the rice paddy. It is worth checking that area out as the rice plants are full of seed.
- The numbers of Red-whiskered bulbuls and Snowy-crowned robin chats are pretty insane at the moment...

I might attempt a list for the Ocean in the coming months, partly because signage is being updated gradually there

 

Signage has been updated completely in the Bush, which means that we can now get a better idea of what is around.

It seems that Lyles' flying fox, White-faced whistling ducks, Green twinspot and Honeycreepers are no longer kept. The flying foxes probably died of old age and the ducks are probably removed because of the avian flu precautions...

The Redtailed catfish is now in the former manatee pool and I think I also saw a juvenile Bornean giant turtle there (Orlitia borneensis). A few animals of this species were bred just before the old Mangrove was demolished and raised behind the scenes, it appears that they are now living in the bush.

Also apparently still present is the Common house gecko.

 

On this I will upload photos of the new signage tonight!

 

Thank you very much for doing that, @Timmiegun !

On another note, where exactly in the Bush did they place the new free-ranging species signage?

 

In the same place it was before! The small bird-house near the restaurant. Its a hut near the capybara bridge

 

Another new free ranging addition to the Mangrove; bumblebee millipede (Anadenobolus monilicornis)

 

Having talked to a trusted source today I can confirm that they no longer have any Orlitia at the zoo, so the animal you saw @lintworm was probably just an Asian leaf turtle

 

The Purple (Yellow-legged) honeycreeper in the Mangrove appear to have been replaced by as yet unsigned Red-legged honeycreeper.

I managed to spot the Blue-crowned hanging parrot today, it flew noisily over the restaurant terrace.

 

The red-legged honeycreepers came from a confiscation in France and as this is a species that actually occurs in Belize, they replaced the purple honeycreepers that moved back to the Bush.

 

Ah that explained why I saw a young male or female with them!
During my route I noticed them oddly all together and one of them was brownish greenish. Which confused me

 

New freeroaming species in the bush! Madagascan Ibis!

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