Cranes I mentioned earlier that an enclosure for Sarus Cranes had been constructed at the top of the paddock behind the restaurant. I've walked past a few times now and have seen only one Crane there. There's still a pair on the Lake. Incidentally, there seems to be just one Wattled Crane now next door to the Sarus.
New developments? Thanks Gigit. Seeing the cranes on the lake as you walk over the elevated boardwalk is a highlight for sure. Has anything been done to the area re-developed on the site of the old small mammal house or has it been laid to lawn? Any signs about future developments? Thanks.
They usually hang out behind the Marabou Storks to the right hand side of the lake. Peer through the Marabou netting next time you're there
It's still an expanse of mud. Work in the zoo at the moment seems to be focussed on the former Swamp Monkey island and nearby banks. The gorilla moat has been dredged, a weir has been constructed and what looks like another weir is underway. Lots of mud again! You can't see much in the Amphibian House for now - new tanks are being installed for what the signs say is 3 years' PhD research.
They (0.2) were moved because of the work on their island and the moat. I wouldn't think they'd be back any time soon. They're not on show anywhere.
Thank-you. Presumably there must be a fence across the stream somewhere behind the Marabou Storks, i.e. one that is not visible from the boardwalk, to separate them from the Manchurian/Red-crowned Cranes?
Yes, there must be one as they are always apart. I once went on the train to get a view from the other side of the lake but there's a hedge in between the track and the water. Disappointment on top of embarrassment!
I've had closer look and there's a thick hedge stretching across the lake from the Marabou enclosure to the bank below the lions/tigers.
Visitor Numbers For the 12 months up to the end of October 2013, Paignton had 462,000 visitors, 11,000 up on the previous year. Living Coasts had 124,000, an 11% increase.
Gibbons Drawn to the 'station' gibbon house by melodious song this morning, I found Naomi, the elderly Grey gibbon, sharing her home with a new gibbon. It looked like a male Pileated to me, but there were no signs to confirm this.
This is correct - this Pileated Gibbon (a female, incidentally) arrived from Zoo d'Asson on November 20th Good to hear Naomi is hanging on, too.
The lighting in the gibbon house is poor and my snatched photos are rubbish, but to me it looked like a black male.
If your identification is accurate, the zoo will have presumably received a male from somewhere else in addition to the aforementioned female. Something to look into the next time anyone on here visits the collection, I imagine. In any case, the individual from Zoo d'Asson was certainly female.
This writing could have come straight from Belle Benchley's book- 'My Friends the Apes' written about her experiences at San Diego Zoo in the 1930's. (She was the lady book-keeper/accountant who rose to become San Diego's Director:(or something like that).) Do you do book-keeping?.....
