Nisha do you have any idea of what zoo in the Netherlands the new zebra will be arriving from and do you know the indervigels name? Kind regards The Hedgehog
Hartmann's is another species Paignton have struggled with over the years- deaths, including foals, have been predominant during the whole time they have had them. They aren't a very easy species at the best of times I don't think. I would have thought a small active herd of the more easily managed Plains zebra might be a better replacement for them. They could use Duchess' old enclosure- perhaps with access to the hilly grass paddock in good dry weather.
Well the only Dutch collection that keeps them currently is GaiaZoo. So that doesn't leave many other sources. Unfortunately my crystal ball is awaiting repair currently so I can't tell you which individual is being sent over. Perhaps ask me again next week
One could hope that Uri has left a legacy - Taru appears to be going through one of her seemingly 3 year long pregnancies (). I am speculating as she's very low-slung and broad at the moment. However, she rejected her last two foals so, if she is, then fingers will have to be very tightly crossed.
It was inevitable. A simple way to fill all of the empty spaces and to buy time before they increase their stock post the TB crisis.
A new playground next to the meerkats has emerged. Finally makes sense what the decked 'walkway to nowhere' was for - a slide! Good use of the area though.
Sigh. Maybe one of these days there'll be some good news for those of us (a tiny minority?) who visit zoos to see animals.
Have to agree. Been visiting pretty much monthly since 2013. The membership price has rocketed to nearly double than Exmoor, another Zoo I monthly visit. Exmoor in the same period has expanded greatly - animals, not playparks! Most of the 'improvements' seem to be playparks/kid trials. It's so bad now I'm surprised they haven't announced that they will be converting the Elephant house into an indoor play area... My membership ends in November and I just don't know now if I want to renew it. I visit a Zoo to see animals, not play areas. That is what attractions like Crealy are for.
I think it's harsh to level that criticism at this particular development, as it's hardly in a location that could have been used as an effective enclosure. Exmoor may have developed faster but these are zoos at different scales, with different factors at play - and there's a very particular reason that animal developments haven't happened as fast at Paignton (in the past 2.5 years at the very least). As far as I know, Exmoor hasn't had to spend money on TB tests, badger vaccinations and a whole host of new badger-proof fencing, nor have they been restricted on what can be brought in and out of the collection. This hyperbole is a bit much - one small play area gets built and Paignton Zoo is suddenly a theme park? It's not as if there's 50+ animals in an enclosure directly opposite...
I'm not criticising the play area in particular. It's more the priority that is given to things like that and the wretched Lego animals. I fully understand the need to get people into the zoo and the problems caused by TB. But I don't have small children so play areas etc are totally irrelevant to me. I want to see one of my favourite exhibits, the quarry enclosure, being used again - weren't the takin supposed to be moving in? Surely that won't involve extra expense. I thought the orangutan islands were going to be revamped during the summer once they'd dried out and that hasn't happened either All this is on top of the exciting news promised for 2019 turning out to be a change of name for the Trust!
Paignton is not a theme park. The point, I think, being made is that there are so many empty enclosures or spaces with single animals for a whole host of reasons and though the new play area is probably being erected by external building/construction staff, it just feels like priorities are skewed. Exhibits I can currently think of that are empty or require attention include: Tur/Barbary sheep quarry Elephant house & adjoining badger hide area. Bison/Anoa paddock next to 'nocturnal house'. Mangabey - Monkey heights being converted for spider Monkeys but leaving empty house at top of zoo? Former Echidna exhibit. X 2 parrot aviaries - waiting for housing to be completed Summer tortoise lawn nr parrots - not used this year (?) Former Malay Fish owl and recent pheasant aviary on walkway to croc swamp. Lechwe field and adjoining paddock Allens Swamp Monkey enclosure Grey Gibbon house/cage opposite Orang island Lar Gibbon house - still not completed Insect/Bug house Rhea addock opposite Maned Wolves Outdoor Crayfish exhibit (although the inner housing is good scientifically and educationally - you can't see them) On top of this there have been recent losses: e.g. Reptile enclosures in desert house, Mixed species flights at ABC (Ground Hornbill), Colobus to name a few.... As Gigit pointed out, the Orang islands look like a palm oil deforestation diorama and there is a single Bongo and single zebra. The rhinos are not breeding and everything feels a bit drab and stale - where is the vision? Yesterday I loved watching the Pileated Gibbons and Howlers on their amazing islands and sitting in the tropical house when it was quiet. The gardens are still amazing. The frustration is that the management have shared the TB info but not shared their new vision post TB and since they have shelved the savannah scheme. The staff on the ground are amazing and dedicated and so passionate but staff turnover seems high and they don't appear to be able to retain people in key positions? The Trust do amazing scientific/conservation work overseas and in the UK and behind the scenes, but my family are questioning the membership prices based upon empty enclosures and a perceived lack of animals... I love this place, but there is a Marwell feel about it at the moment and I'm a wee bit concerned!
I am afraid that I agree completely (except that the demolished outdoor enclosure used by the sakis is missing from the list). The zoo is at low ebb at the moment. I hope that some clear thinking is going on to plan the recovery of the zoo. I trust that the priorities will include the completion of half-finished projects, so that some of the species that are currently off-show can be seen again (eg the insects/invertebrates and some of the parrots) and that negotiations are underway to bring in more stock (eg bongo). Then some of the empty exhibits may need minor refurbishing before new species can be brought in (eg former swamp monkey house and island). These developments should not involve enormous expenditure; it would be nice to see a major investment in a new project too, but that is not required immediately.
Strictly speaking, we aren't 'members' anymore, we've been downgraded to 'annual pass holders'. It seems less friendly. They changed things in 2016 after getting a company in to review everything. One of the other changes was that you can no longer adopt a specific named animal eg Pertinax the gorilla, but just 'a gorilla', 'a rhino' etc from a selected list. When I first joined what was PAWS Friends of Paignton Zoo in 1999, the member benefits were free zoo entry, the magazine 'Zoo News' 3 times a year, a copy of the Annual Report and accounts, a car sticker, special zoo tours, social events, the Gibbon Club for junior members, access to the Reference Library, and zoo volunteering. I miss 'Zoo News', which was always interesting, and having copies of what were newsy Annual Reports/Reviews and which contained the Inventory of animals. They do put the Reports and Accounts on their website but there's no recent Inventory. The benefits now are unlimited free entry to Paignton, Newquay and Living Coasts, discounts in the restaurants and gift shops, and one free entry to Chester, Colchester, Dublin, Edinburgh, Fota Wildlife Park, Highland Wildlife Park, Marwell and Twycross, and you can use the Library. They also say you have Fast Track Entry but that doesn't happen in the high season when you'd actually appreciate it!
Anyone who has watched Orangutan Jungle School will recognise one of their vets who was visiting PZ last week, along with one from Sumatra. They shared experiences of working with orangs. The visit was arranged by OVAID: New vet scholarship aids wild orang utans
It was good to see a new animal today - Leila, the Hartmann's zebra mare who has just arrived and appeared to be quite relaxed around Taru.
Please bare with me as I have some questions How old is Leila and what is her history? When ŵill Paington zoo get a new Heartmans Mouintain zebra stallion to replace the now deceased Urias as well as this will anymore females be arriving to expand the heard and promote breeding of this critically endangered species? Are the Rothschild giraffe herd now useing Duchesses old enclosure?, As I believe another Zoochatter stated that the partition gate was now open. What is happening/happened to Yali the male juvenile Asiatic lion who was apparently being held in the off show lion exhibit? This was mentioned by a fellow Zoochatter. Also will a new male arrive to replace Yoda who perished and restart the breeding program? Any movements planned regarding the Bornaian Orangutans as stated by the zoo themselves,in the article that mentioned that the zoo is off the TB restrictions! Is Luchu the young male Sumartrain Tiger being moved onto a breeding sanario?,as the Sumartrain Tiger is a critically endangered species and he is off breeding age! What or will be inhabiting the former Allien Swamp Monkey house? What is the future for Pertinax the former group Silverback Western Lowland Gorilla?,as surely it is detrimental for his mental health and psyical wellbeing while he is in solertry confinement with just visiuel contact with the three other lads! Also this breed is critically endangered and there's no reason why Pertinax couldn't be the breeding Silverback in another collection! Also seeming Paington zoo is only a facility for matureing male gorillas will any of the current young males be moveing to parchtures new? Will sloth return to Paington zoo as the only reason the collection went out of the spieces was the planned demonstration of the Nocturnal House that has been reopened refurbished and houses Bruce the Echida, due the coucilation of the big African Paddock plans due to the TB infestation? Also will Bats return to the zoo as they only left due to the reason I stated above? Also are the Colobus Monkeys back on show yet? Just to round my list of questions off I'd like to as is Shakira the Sumartain Tigeress still alive as if she is she's probably the oldest in a European animal collection and could be mentioned in the Guinness World Records book and also create publicity for the zoo? Many thanks for reading my lengthy list of Questions! Have a nice rest of the night and a good day depending on when you read my post. Kind regards From The Hedgehog.
According to the Hartmann's mountain zebra studbook (which is available on the Marwell Zoo website) "Leila" was born at Dvur Kralove on 1st October 2013 and was transferred to Gaia Zoo on 19th March 2015.
As you can see, factual questions about zebras can be answered by knowledgeable ZooChatters. But most of your questions are unanswerable here. Decisions about the movement of lions, tigers, gorillas etc are subject to negotiations between the zoos involved and the studbook keepers for the relevant species. Likewise I am sure that the management of Paignton Zoo and the WPTrust are making planning decisions about other animal arrivals and departures and the futures of the exhibits and buildings in the zoo. As @TriUK has listed, there are a lot of decisions to be made in the short term and longer term planning is necessary too. They will be considering many factors, particularly financial ones, before deciding on priorities. Inevitably we know virtually nothing about these private proceedings. We can speculate and make guesses about what they are considering, and we sometimes get tempted to do so. Occasionally people hear a rumour or learn a snippet of information about such discussions at zoos, but they ought to remain confidential because they can only be guaranteed to be true or false when an announcement is made about a new development, and even then, that development may be overtaken by events and consequently it never happens. So I can't answer your questions and even if I could, I would advise you not to believe my answers.
I agree with Gentle Lemur about the majority of your questions. However I think I can answer just a few of them though having no official connection with the zoo, they are in no way official facts.. Q. Swamp Monkey enclosure. A. I doubt anyone outside the zoo themselves know the plan. Q. Gorillas- A. Pertinax is middle-aged now but due to being from well-represented lines genetically, its very unlikely he would ever move to a breeding group. Same goes for the three younger males. You can expect the set-up they currently have to more than likely remain just as it is. Q. Colobus Monkeys. A. No, and unlikely to return I think.
