Membership of EAZA gives of couse some kind of "status" but seems to be also not to be cheap ! I guess this could be one of the reasons - the reason !
I am not familiar with EAZA requirements, but I am moderately familiar with AZA requirements (having volunteered at an AZA facility for over a decade). It is hugely expensive - the figure I heard on this site was something like ten thousand dollars a year. It also requires an inordinate amount of paperwork (much of it unnecessary IMO) and staff hours to prepare for the five year inspection. Also, their heavy handed approach causes some American zoo directors (a couple of which I personally know) to turn their backs on AZA. I am not sure if EAZA is quite as strict, but I imagine the reasons for not joining are similar. (Disclaimer - In the case of RSCC and the EAZA this is pure speculation on my part - I have no inside knowledge as to the specific reasons in this case).
As with AD, I don't know specificaly about EAZA, but ZAA (Zoo & Aquarium Association of Australasia) charges fees based on each member zoo's income, so while it may be quite high for large institutions, its much lower for smaller establishments. I would imagine (or at least hope) this is the case in Europe & North America too.
Another rusty spotted cat has been born here. Unfortunately, the mother already has a litter to care for so this one is being hand reared.
Yes. I was told this by another visitor. The birth hasn't officially been announced yet but I'll try to find out more the next time I visit.
So looking at the website, the current on-show species are: Boky-Boky Bush Dog Clouded Leopard Eastern Aardwolf Fanaloka Fishing Cat Fosa Jaguarundi Smooth-coated otter Maned Wolf Malayan Tiger Palawan Bearcat Rusty Spotted Cat Sumatran Banded Civet Sun Bear Yellow Throated Marten Ring-Tailed Vontsira Sulawesi Tarsier Golden-headed Lion Tamarin Pileated gibbon Sambirano Bamboo Lemur Red-Ruffled Lemur Golden Necked Northern Cassowary Victoria Crowned Pigeon Chinese Red & White Giant Flying Squirrel New Guinea Echidna Greater Forest Wallaby Dusky Pademelon And the off-show species are: Spotted Cuscus Sunda Gavial Pygmy Loris Giant Ottter Greater Grison Red-Backed Bearded Saki Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur Great Hornbill Mindanao Rufous Hornbill Goliath palm cockatoo King bird-of-paradise Red Panda Hyacinth Macaw Southern Tamandua Balabac Chervotain The website has links to these 2 bird species, but the pages seem to be moved or deleted: african-pygmy-goose philadelphian scops owl
The space is in transition at the moment (in a good way) and one of the results of this is that some species mentioned as on show per the website may not be on show. I visited a fortnight ago (and had a great time there) but the species I've marked with asterisks were not on show. Things may have changed since with more now on show (as I said the place is in transition) so if you really want to see something I'd contact them before visiting.
I do admire RSCC and would love to visit one day (its in my top 5 zoos to get to), but having 10/28 species advertised as being on display* NOT actually on display seems extremely poor. They should update their website to reflect what is actually potentially see-able. I'd be pretty disappointed if I got there expecting to see the listed species and ten of them weren't present. *I'm assuming that the 10 you missed shorts haven't gone on dispaly since you visited of course.
Tiger swap Zoo Halle is reporting that they and RSCC are due to exchange female Malayan Tigers this week. Female, Sahaja (born June 2013 at Halle) left Germany for Sandwich this morning to start the swap. Later this week, female Moemoe will make the return trip from Kent
I know Todd quite well and it would be true to say that he prefers to plough his own furrow a lot of the time...as I remember another rather famous Kent zoo-owner did for many years,often with spectacular success.One never knows what the future might bring, but I simply cannot consider that EAZA-sponsored TAGS and EEPS are the be-all and end-all of animals in zoos, even if they realistically have to represent core values,it is simply too much like communist-styled state planning for my liking and I am too aware of the input of the private breeder in aviculture and herpeculture in particular, to dismiss an occasional alternative approach as in any way irresponsible.RSCC is not in BIAZA incidentally.
How true! A pet peeve of mine is that more than half the time the (potential /) actual contribution that the private sector aviculturalist and herp-fiend does for species conservation is very very very much overlooked. If we are to save our Planet's natural heritage, we should not be so squimish the participants!
The new female arrived some time yesterday. She was on show today and seems very comfortable around visitors. She had access to both enclosures today but I don't think she ventured into the main one.
Shame that some of the cats have left the collection. Last year they had snow leopard, north chinese leopard and cheetahs! Does anyone know where they went?
From a visit this past weekend: The new enclosures for giant otters and - I think - bush dogs are coming on very well, and will look great when they are completed. The walkway from which the aardwolves are usually visible is currently closed off - it looks as if it has collapsed rather, and is in need of some renovation. A hut of some sort is being built between the tigers and the aardwolves. I'm not sure what it's for, but it might well be an animal display unit of some sort.... Lots of stuff going on with the entrance building: some off-show cages are tucked in at the back of this, and in one were some silvery marmosets - so that's another species at the zoo! The place as a whole was looking fantastic - although not massively busy, on a day when the car parks for Howletts and Wingham were bulging.
The hut by the tiger will be an educational display on the threats to tigers from medicinal medicine, etc. Yes the other large exhibit near giant otter will indeed be for bush dog. And yes the place is starting to look fantastic!
Does anyone know if there are plans to get the lorises, sakis and/or fat-tailed dwarf lemurs on show? I don't think I've come across another zoo with fat-tails, or those sakis. Cheers.
