Longleat Safari & Adventure Park New Gorilla at Longleat?

three warthog have also arrived, i wonder if they are the 3 males born at edinburgh last year, they are on the east african reserve.

 

update as usual way out the edinburgh warthogs went to the south of france and portugal (latest issue of zoo magazine arrive today)

 

Warthogs are suddenly become quite common in UK zoos. A few years ago Marwell was about the only place that had any.

 

I remember when whipsnade had them

 

whipsnade were the first zoo in the world to breed them in the 1950's

 

Did it have something to do with the Eastern bloc countries joining the EU? I'm not sure whether this was because many species were thriving here already, or if countries like Poland were able to import animals into Europe for less cost.

 

I remember when Whipsnade had; Hunting Dogs, Mountain Zebra, Tommie Gazelle, Spectacled Bear, Polar Bear, Leopard, Moose, and Wapiti to name but a few they don't have now- but I can't remember Warthogs!

Where abouts did they live?

 

no the majority of warthogs in europe are related to groups that were imported to europe from the gambia by antwerp, rotterdam and beekse bergen in the early nineties

 

Marwell's came from Rotterdam. I think they have bred them but I don't know if its frequently?

 

Yes Grant I remember most of those but not the Spectacled bears, I think the Warthogs were near the rhinos, but I am not sure now as it was quite a few yaers ago, the Tommies were a nice large herd sorry to hear they are all gone.

 

The Thompson's Gazelle herd was unique, at least for a UK collection. There were probably 40+ animals. They lived in a paddock near the Giraffe House if I remember correctly. (I have a zoo postcard of them)

The Spectacled Bears came from London Zoo where they had lived in a mixed bear exhibit by the old CAmel House/Clock Tower. ChiChi the Panda lived in the other half of that enclosure too. It was eventually demolished to make way for the Sobell Monkey pavilions.

The two Spectacled bears were called Spencer and Nina. Apart from Jersey's, they were the only other ones in the UK at that time. They were sent to Whipsnade where they lived in a horrid little cage rather like a dog kennel and run. It was in a semi-derelict area somewhere between the penguin enclosure and the entrance gate. I believe they bred each year but(not surprisingly) didn't raise the cubs. It was a bad way to keep them.
After the female died, the male was sent to Jersey but the current bears there aren't related to him.

 

id like to see Thompsons Gazelle back in the UK. i dont see why Colchester, Africa Alive or one of the Safari Parks coud house them.

 

How can you go from 40 animals to nothing? Such a shame

 

they had in the past sent animals to marwell and to the cotswold wp but they only had limited success cotswold bred them but i don't think marwell did.

 

I imagine they were quietly 'disposed of ' as being surplus to requirements....

 

I visited Longleat recently, and they said they're not going to introduce Niko to another female, as, because he's so old and only ever lived with one female, the stress of introducing him to another gorilla would probably shorten his life. I don't think they should replace him with anymre gorillas anyway. The island's way too small for a group of gorillas.

 

Its a pity he won't be given a chance to have another companion during his lifetime. I think that explanation is an easy way out to do nothing..

But I agree when he goes they shouldn't have gorillas there again.

 

I went to longleat yesterday and the man on the boat giving commentary said nico is 48 years old witch is equivalent to a 98yr old human and if they put a new young female it would probably end up dead as nico lived with samba all his life and has never known change before.

 

I don't know if I completely buy that... What is worse for an elderly human widower? Having anew woman in his house to be a companion or being alone? Surely there is a female out there that is easy going and sweet natured, not necessarily a mate but for a companion for a few years...

 

It's not that clear cut and Longleat have got to treat this issue delicately.

Nico has a history of health problems and being at his extremely old age, the stress of introducing a complete stranger into 'his' home might just finish him off.

Your analogy of an elderly widower isn't quite right, because Nico has only ever known one other adult Gorilla and probably lacks the "social skills" to become friendly with a new gorilla.

It is bonus though, that due to his age, he will not be on his own for long and I'm sure the keeping staff have doubled their efforts to keep him entertained.