Northern caiman lizard (Dracaena guianensis) and Yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) went on show in Reptile Tropics yesterday, in the former Green anaconda enclosure.
Is there only one pygmy slow loris now at Paignton now? When I visited recently I was told there was just one in the exhibit, but having seen articles about the births earlier in the year, and having seen it pop up on here - I wondered if anyone knows what happened to them? Thanks
I've been told by three different members of staff now that Blue or Fairy Penguins are arriving in March (don't know where from) to be quarantined before going on show in the summer most probably in Auk Cliff. There are many talking points surrounding this!
The number in the latest annual report was 6 (4/2) on 31st December 2015. However I have never seen that many on show and I suspect that several of them are not on view. Indeed as they are on display in Monkey Heights in an enclosure with mixed daylight and artificial light, the usual view is of a small, furry, brown football at the top of a branch just below the ceiling of the enclosure. By counting arms and legs (and occasionally faces) I can usually convince myself there are three (pair + youngster), but I can quite believe that someone might conclude that there was just one larger animal. To confuse matters, they don't always sleep together and when I once told Gigit that I couldn't see more than one, she told me that there is a spot where they can sleep above the window, completely out of view. One fine day (Oh! Let it be soon), Paignton will build a new nocturnal house for loris, kiwi and other nice creatures.
Next year Paignton are going to do Kiwi observation experiences at night, like they did with their wild badgers - should be good! RE. Loris - where are the off-show holdings - because right now there are probably Geoldi's & Squirrel monkeys plus the Loris? The Duiker must be there, or arriving soon too (for the old Pudu enclosure)?
I think there's a whole other world behind the Vet Centre. Parts of some cages are visible and you could sometimes see off-show Mangabeys in the one nearest the Bird Show building. I went to a Vet Evening several years ago (the best evening event they've put on imho) and saw that row of cages - there was a penguin from Living Coasts in one of them. There are other buildings, including the post mortem room, behind them.
Wuppertal tried but lost its group due to a bacterial infection. I think LC's Auk Exhibit will be a great place to try with them. It's the 'mix' with the Puffins, Guillemots and Kitties that could prove a problem? I love this place, but each time I go now the seal pools look less and less acceptable in size for a modern zoo. It makes me wonder whether there is a master plan here to rebrand as 'Penguin World' further down the road. In the absence of Sea Otters it may be sensible? The puffins are slowly dying off, the Pigeon Guillemots died off and nothing has moved forward with the Bank Cormorants. On a plus note, all the tanks are looking so clear with incredible visability!
New female Cassowary has arrived from Spain. She is in the end paddock nearest the descending path to the Lions. She is 3 years old, has brown colouring on her rump feathers and is much bigger than the other Cassowary's currently on show. I do hope they breed. The Stork aviary opposite the Spider Monkeys has been repaired and a new path has been built to encourage people to view the Lesser Adjudants. There are now Crested Seriema in one of the Parrot flights next to some Australian Pied Crows. The Duiker still havn't arrived, or at least are not yet on show? It seems like all of the birds have been released into the new Asian birds exhibit between the Desert and Tropical houses. It is a lovely area that most visitors just walk through without stopping. Shame. I have not yet seen the Bul-bul's though? Does anyone know how many crocs are kept off-show?
Have they announced what species of Duiker they will be getting yet? I'm kinda hoping for it to be Blue duiker but I could be wrong...
