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Reviews from Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels)

Discussion in 'Belgium' started by Kalaw, 22 Dec 2022.

  1. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    This thread is for my reviews/walkthroughs of Zoo Antwerpen and the Brussels Museum des Sciences Naturelles. I will review the former in exhaustive detail, as I have done previously on the site, while the latter will be more general notes and observations (indeed, I wasn’t planning on reviewing the museum at all prior to visiting).

    As usual, neither of the institutions that I am reviewing are local to me, and as such, it is entirely possible that some of my comments will be incorrect. If this is true, I will be tremendously grateful if members who are more familiar with the places in question could reply to the thread with (polite) corrections. I also love to receive feedback on more general things, such as my writing style, and I would love to hear to what extent (if at all!) members agree with my comments on the places in question.

    With that aside, I will upload four reviews (my Antwerp review will be in three parts) to this thread, with one being uploaded per day (hopefully). Media of Antwerp Zoo has already been uploaded, and I may upload media from Brussels at a later date. I hope you all enjoy reading this thread!
     
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  2. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    Part 1 ~ The Last of Her Kind:

    When visiting Belgium, and choosing a zoo to visit, there were three options that sprang to mind. The first of these was Pairi Daiza, a zoo that is both loved and hated by members on this site, and as such was a place that I was eager to formulate my own opinion on. It is also a zoo with plenty of exciting species that I would love to add to my life lists, and a picturesque setting that I longed to explore. However, I knew that Pairi was most likely in need of two days in order for me to fully appreciate its vast network of exhibits, something that, on a five night trip with family members for whom zoos are hardly a priority, simply wasn’t possible. The second of these was Planckendael, which I genuinely considered for quite a while, but eventually opted against, not due to any flaw of its, but rather, a tremendous strength of its sister collection that outshone anything it had to offer. The zoo that I settled on was Zoo Antwerp, the older sister of Planckendael located in a far more urban setting, renowned for its architecture and rare species. Chief among these was a single individual who is the last of her species left in captivity; a species which, tragically, may go extinct in my lifetime. A species that I was determined to see in my lifetime; and I knew full well that this was my only realistic chance.

    I imagine most readers know exactly who I am talking about, but for those who don’t, I will refrain from naming her until the end of this post.

    I woke up very early in the morning, and checked the route to the zoo. Naturally, I already knew the basic outline of how we would be travelling, but not the exact details. We left our air bnb in Ixelles (a suburb of Brussels that feels as though it is part of the Belgian capital in just about every sense) and were pleasantly surprised not only to see that our bus stop was right outside the building, but also that our bus (the 71 to De Brouckere) was already visible at the top of the road. The bus ride was a pleasant one, taking us past the Palais de Bruxelles, a gorgeous 18th Century monument that is the official palace of the Belgian monarchy, although, interestingly, it is not their residence. Our destination was the Gare du Central, right outside the entrance to Bruxelles-Central station; we arrived twenty minutes before our train’s departure, a decision that I suggested in order to allow time to figure out how public transport works in Belgium. This decision turned out to be entirely pointless, as it was incredibly easy to understand, and also reasonably affordable when compared to what was on offer back in the UK.

    Our train ride was also rather nice, taking just forty minutes and passing through several charming Flemish villages with impressive skylines, dotted with Gothic churches. The most notable of these was Mechelen, home to Planckendael, which had me certain that, if I ever made it to Antwerp’s sister collection I would ensure to explore the nearby city while doing so. Upon arrival in Antwerpen-Centraal station, our destination, I immediately fell in love with it; masterful engineering allowed for the construction of platforms on three levels (I don’t know of any UK station to do the same), while a gorgeous Gothic facade masked the station within. It may well be the most exciting train station in which I have ever set foot, and it was a true joy to be there. Our train arrived at 10:20, and we could have entered the zoo within five minutes, however given that we had foolishly skipped breakfast, my family were rather hungry and understandably wanted to stop at a cafe first. Due to allergies in the family which made finding a suitable cafe problematic, we did not enter the zoo until 10:43, however I assured myself that that was still plenty of time to see the zoo.

    We stepped out of the station to find that the zoo’s gates were right beside it. I was aware that the two were close enough for the station to be visible from certain points in the zoo, but I had not quite predicted their proximity. Before paying admission, you are greeted by a small but beautiful courtyard, overlooked from one side by the station and from the other by the Antwerp Symphonic Orchestra, which I gather was once part of the zoo. There are two kiosks within the courtyard in which visitors can purchase their tickets by card, with the alternative being the zoo’s gift shop in which both card and cash are accepted. We opted for the former, in part as I was aware that the zoo sold guidebooks, and I am very glad that I did. The guidebook is available in three languages (Dutch, French and English, although the latter is only sold at the counter, and was not on display), and I opted to purchase the Dutch copy (translating foreign zoo guidebooks is definitely my favourite way of studying languages!), which was 94 beautiful pages, packed with information about the zoo and its history, with a gatefold timeline at one end and a map at the other. It may well be the best contemporary zoo guidebook that I own.

    We then walked up to the end of the courtyard, where our tickets were scanned and we were allowed to enter the zoo itself. The first sight that you are greeted with upon entering are two outdoor primate enclosures, one for Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) and the other for Black-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps). Due to the extreme cold, the glass viewing for the mandrill enclosure was entirely steamed up, preventing me from viewing it, however for the spider monkeys, the enclosure was fairly average, with a standard amount of climbing space being offered. Visitors are then led into a large indoor pavilion consisting of two exhibits. The first of these is the Winter Garden, which may well be one of the most beautiful zoo buildings that I have ever seen; tall stone walls connected by panes of glass and steel, packed with gorgeous tropical plants - a classical example of a late 19th Century botanical greenhouse, that, between April and October, would be packed with butterflies. Unfortunately, during the winter, this is not the case, due to the cost of heating the old greenhouse to suitable conditions, and the only animals that I saw were wild sparrows darting across the hallway. All the same, this historic exhibit is beautiful, and if I ever return to Antwerp, I will look forward to seeing it in a slightly more lively form!

    The second exhibit is the Small Monkey House, in which a myriad of primates are housed. Their enclosures use excessive mock rock as well as carvings in the walls that are an utter eyesore and not the sort of tasteful architecture that Antwerp has been so famous for across the years. But the monkeys, with plenty of climbing, appropriate substrate and a good amount of space, surely aren’t complaining are they? Well, I am not quite so sure; with the exception of the aforementioned spider monkeys and mandrills, whose outdoor areas are very much visible, there is no obvious evidence of outdoor access for any of the building’s inhabitants. This wouldn’t be an issue if the building’s name was honest, but it is not - the mandrill is the world’s largest monkey species, and several of its other inhabitants who lack obvious outdoors are also by no means ‘small.’ I certainly hope that my fears are misplaced, because if they are not, then this is one of only two exhibits at Antwerp that I genuinely disliked. As well as the mandrills and spider monkeys, you may also find (with a ‘+’ indicating that the species shares an enclosure with the following entry on the list):

    Mantled Colobus (Colobus guereza)
    Geoffroy’s Marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi) +
    Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea) +
    Golden-headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)
    Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
    Goeldi’s Monkey (Callimico goeldii)
    Hamlyn’s Owl-faced Monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni)

    Of those, the Hamlyn’s Owl-faced Monkeys are the obvious highlight. A member of the cercopithecus genus, fascinating primates whose numbers seem to be dwindling in European zoos, they are notable for their namesake faces, rather round (compared to other cercopithecus) with round eyes that do indeed resemble owls to an extent. Given that the last individuals of the species in the UK (housed at Edinburgh Zoo) passed away in 2012, I have never been fortunate enough to observe these animals prior, and as such they were the first of several lifeticks of the trip; if that weren’t good enough, there were even two babies, one of whom was born in February this year, and the other was born at some point in 2021. They were an absolute joy to watch, and of course, I spent a considerable amount of time attempting to get a photo of them, although the reflectiveness of the glass did not make this an easy task.

    Below are two photos of the monkeys, one of an adult and the other of a juvenile:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    And pictured below is the indoor spider monkey enclosure (most exhibits in the building looked fairly similar):

    [​IMG]

    Although I was unimpressed by the standards of exhibitry, the sighting of the Hamlyn’s Monkeys ensured that I still started my day off on a strong note, as I left the monkey house to be greeted by the sight of the Flemish Garden, a beautiful example of attentive horticulture, overlooked by the Lateria, a former cowshed, the milk from which would be used to fed the animals but also sold to the people of the city to provide an extra source of revenue. It is a gorgeous building that complements the garden rather well, and typically serves as a cafe, although it appeared to be closed at the time of my visit. Hidden in this serene corner of the zoo is the unassuming Marsupial House. Although its glass facade suggests that this is a newer addition, it actually dates back to 1898, when it was constructed to house kangaroos; a 2015 renovation allowed it to return to its original purpose of displaying marsupials after many years of hiatus, and the result is a rather peaceful building home to rather peaceful animals. The sole tragedy is the tremendously reflective glass, which made photography a complete impossibility.

    It houses Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus), which marked my fourth encounter with the species, and the only one in which there were not tremendous crowds of visitors, huddling around to catch a glimpse of the sleeping marsupials. Belgium does have no less than three zoos displaying koalas despite its small size, so this could be a result of visitors simply taking the animals for granted, or it could be that the building’s unassuming nature prompts most visitors to skim past it. Either way, it was a tremendous positive that allowed for a brilliant view of the species, although, due to the aforementioned reflectiveness, no brilliant photos. There was also a sleeping Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi), marking my fifth encounter with what is surely among my favourite mammals, and a Dusky Pademelon (Thylogale brunii), another favourite of mine that offered the only potential photos of the building, as their terrestrial nature made floor-to-ceiling glass unnecessary. All the same, my poor photography skills could not produce a better photo than the one pictured below:

    [​IMG]

    Upon leaving the building and re-entering the Flemish Garden, two more pleasant examples of architecture greeted me. The first was a row of partially sheltered aviaries dating back to 1856, which were constructed for raptors. I gather that, since the departure of the birds of prey (a respectable decision, as they would have been somewhat on the small side for them), the aviaries stood entirely empty, remaining for historical reasons on the basis that they are, (according to the guidebook) the zoo’s oldest building. Thankfully, in 2020, they were renovated as Parrot Aviaries, and are now some of the nicest habitats in the zoo - historically significant, colourful and lively, housing a pleasant selection of birds of which the namesake parrots are the stars, but they are by no means alone. At the time of my visit, they housed:

    California Quail (Callipepla californica) +
    Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) +
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) +
    Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) +
    Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)
    Red-billed Curassow (Crax blumenbachii) +
    Mexican Green Military Macaw (Ara militaris mexicana) +
    Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix) +
    Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthus) +
    Chestnut-eared Aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis)
    Grey-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) +
    Elegant Crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans) +
    Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii)
    Ecuadorian Red-lored Amazon (Amazona lilacina) +
    Blue Ground Dove (Claravis pretiosa) +
    more Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

    My primary target in this aviary was the Chestnut-eared Aracari, which I was thankfully able to get fairly good views of, although I was unable to photograph them. The Blue Ground Dove, which I did not know the zoo housed prior to visiting, was also a potential lifetick, which I was sadly unable to spot. I was also on the lookout for the Red-billed Curassow, which I had seen prior at Chester Zoo, but was among my favourite species, and as such I eagerly anticipated the opportunity to see one again. Sadly, I was unsuccessful in this mission as well, but the aracaris made up for it. It is also worth noting that, I imagine to commemorate the exhibit’s history with raptors, an eagle statue overlooks the aviaries:

    [​IMG]

    The second architectural highlight from this area was the Moorish Temple, a beautiful exhibit dating from 1885, when it was built with the intention of housing ratites, before being repurposed to house Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) and Natal Red Duiker (Cephalophus natalensis) in a network of three outdoor enclosures. Although individually, they are all fairly mediocre (by no means particularly spacious, with a decent amount of shade being their only real highlight) the combination of the three creates a perfectly adequate okapi habitat, elevated to a great one by the elaborate architecture (early examples of cultural theming that look far better and more impressive than what newer zoos have attempted) and the zoo’s history of displaying okapis (they were the first zoo to have ever displayed the species, and have accumulated an impressive breeding record over the years, currently finding themselves in possession of the Okapi studbook). Aware of this history, I was hoping to see one, and disappointed when I was unable to do so at first. Thankfully, a return to this enclosure towards the end of my visit allowed for a brief but nonetheless memorable sighting of the species in one of their indoor stables.

    The indoors in question is not the Moorish Temple, but rather an extension to the building that is part of the zoo’s Ape House. Upon entering, you are greeted by the sight of the Okapi stables and a timeline of the zoo’s very interesting history with the species, before you are lured into a considerably older room, built mainly out of concrete and consisting of several glass-fronted enclosures. The most prominent of these are the zoo’s indoor stalls for non-subspecific Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) as well as a single female Black-faced Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes). The latter is certainly my favourite chimpanzee subspecies, and as such, I was looking forward to observing her, only to find that the stalls were being cleaned out and as such could not be entered by the animals. That said, the most exciting species in the room were still very much visible.

    One of the most curious but photogenic animals out there, the Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) was, until fairly recently, an extreme rarity in Europe, but in recent years, breeding successes at the few zoos that have housed it (Antwerp included) have allowed the beautiful macroscelid to become more established in zoos. This year alone, no less than five zoos (Tierpark Berlin, Frankfurt, Prague, Mulhouse and Skansen Stockholm) have received individuals, however the species is yet to have found its way to the UK, and as such, I was yet to have seen one. They have always been a target of mine due to their gorgeous namesake colours, which make them stand out among other sengis. I arrived at their enclosure, and, unable to see any, became immediately fearful that I would return to England without having seen any. After twenty or so seconds of scanning their enclosure for life, two energetic sengis burst out of hiding and began chasing one another around. Their colours were just as beautiful in person as in photos, but another thing that stood out to me was its size. I was somehow oblivious to the fact that its genus, rhynchocyon, commonly known as ‘giant sengis,’ are over twice the size of other members of their genus. This fact somewhat caught me off guard, but it only made the zoo’s pair of sengis more mesmerising to watch as they darted across their enclosure. I was so hypnotised by their display that I forgot (or simply didn’t care enough) to take a photo, returning in the day in the hopes of doing so, but they evaded me. At least it was on the same return trip that I spotted the elusive okapi!

    Two other smaller mammals inhabit the building, the Round-eared Sengi (Macroscelides proboscideus), which I was sadly unable to spot (I was not particularly upset by this, as the species is also housed at my local London Zoo and is always fairly easy to locate), and a long-overdue lifetick, the Barbary Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys barbarus). Upon approaching the enclosure, I saw two individuals asleep on logs at opposite ends of the enclosure, and, having seen the species and being tremendously excited about what came next, I quickly moved on, leaving the Ape House, only to be summoned back seconds later by my family, who had noticed something rather adorable which I had somehow missed; an enormous huddle of mice:

    [​IMG]

    The Ape House then briefly ejects you into the outdoor gardens, where you are greeted by a series of aviaries. However, having seen the beginning of the Ape House, it only made sense to finish the rest of it first, especially seeing as I was fully aware of what it contained. I began pacing along the rest of the ape enclosures, which were only visible from outside. The enclosures viewed prior were designed as individual stalls to allow for the easy separation and re-introduction of individual animals (I could be mistaken, and other members can correct me here, but I believe that this setup is referred to as fission-fusion), while these enclosures are shared by all the apes in the zoo’s large groups. The apes here were particularly active, which allowed for the best views of chimpanzees which I had ever gotten to date, however extremely reflective glass that, yet again, rendered photography near impossible. All of this, combined with the outdoor area, culminates to create a very good and very satisfying chimpanzee enclosure that may be among my personal favourites to date; however it pales in comparison to what was next.

    The zoo’s gorilla enclosure houses, as you might expect, a group of Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), as do many zoos. They were very active across the enclosure, with one baby in particular being tremendously enthusiastic as they ran around their habitat, playing with the substrate and swinging on the ropes; a joy to watch, but I was not here for them. In this enclosure, there was a single individual of incredible significance, who has been the last of her species in captivity for the past six years, and has made Antwerp the only zoo in Europe (possibly the world?) to house her species since 1985. During the slowest ten seconds of my life, I scanned the enclosure for any sign of her presence, growing fearful that something may have happened, that disaster might have struck and that the animal I had travelled all this way to see would be nowhere in sight. That’s when I saw her.

    A few metres from where I stood, resting on a hammock elevated at an angle which somehow allowed me to look straight past her, was Amahoro the Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei). I tried to photograph her, but the reflective grass, my inability to stay still given the excitement, my general lack of photographic skill and her refusal to face the camera meant that the best photo I could capture is the rather unremarkable ‘portrait’ below:

    [​IMG]

    As usual when encountering rare species at zoos, I spot the animal, spend a minute or so admiring them, then move on. Later in the day, when the crowds have dispersed, I return and spend at least twenty, maybe more, minutes with the species, with less noisy visitors nearby to distract from the animal in question, in which I can properly admire the animal, appreciate what makes them so special, and gain a few memories with the knowledge that no other human on the planet has the exact same memories with that exact same animal. I have done it with the Aardwolf at Hemsley, the Shoebill at Exmoor and the Manatee at Paris. However, this time it was different. When I saw the Shoebills and Manatees, I knew full well that I will get to see them again at some point in my life, as several other European collections housed them, and in the case of the manatees, I have already been proven right twice. As for the aardwolf, while Hemsley is the only European collection where the species can be found, their individual is rather young (and the zoo intends on importing more), so it is fairly probable that I would get to see the species again at Hemsley. But Amahoro is different: no other zoo houses her, not just in Europe, but in the world; she is old, most likely approaching the end of her life in the next few years, and I do fear that I will not be able to return to Antwerp within that time; and there is no hope of me seeing her in the wild, given the extreme conditions that her species resides in and the heartbreakingly high chance that they go extinct in my lifetime. All these things considered, I don’t think I have ever had as important an encounter with any species in my life up until this time.

    So, what observations did I make in Amahoro’s presence? Well, for starters, she is akin in size to a Western silverback; I was aware that the Eastern species was slightly more massive than their Western counterparts, but I wasn’t expecting the difference in size to be quite so apparent. Her hair is also very apparently different, lighter and longer than that of any gorilla which I had seen prior. And above all, there was a clear difference in her face; I am struggling to put my finger on exactly what it is, but something about her just seemed more expressive and emotional. Of course, I am now praying that her species does not go extinct in my life, as they have now dethroned Aye-Ayes as my absolute favourite primate.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well, there is part 1! I hope you all enjoyed reading. Hopefully, Part 2 will be out by tomorrow, although I cannot say for certain, given that I will be travelling for a lot of the day to visit family members over Christmas! Thank you for reading!
     
    Last edited: 22 Dec 2022
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  3. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    They actually left for a Slovakian collection IIRC!

    She isn't *that* old - if she lives to a similar age as Victoria (the other Eastern at Antwerp in recent decades) she will have another 15 years or so remaining to her.... and she is still only half the age of the oldest Western in Europe!
     
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  4. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    You are absolutely correct; it appears that they were sent to Bojnice Zoo. My apologies!
    Well, that is a relief; perhaps I will get another chance to see her in my life! For some reason, I had always assumed that she was a similar age to Victoria, hence my assumption that she was nearing her passing; I am very happy to have been wrong!
     
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  5. oflory

    oflory Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Always interesting and inspiring to read your reviews! I need another trip to Antwerp to see Amahoro again, I think!

    Did you miss blue ground dove at Burgers?
     
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  6. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    Thank you so much for your kind comments!

    I do seem to have terrible luck with blue ground-doves. I missed the individuals at Burgers' and Antwerp, visited Beauval too early to see theirs, and had my planned trip to Newquay cancelled due to the lockdown. No less than four times I came close to seeing the species, only to ultimately fail!
     
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  7. oflory

    oflory Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    All the better when you eventually see them, I say!
     
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  8. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    Part 2 ~ Harbours and Hieroglyphs:

    Having seen Amahoro, I returned to the aviaries which I had missed earlier. These, it turned out, house the zoo’s Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti). However, due to renovations to the enclosure, the animals were off-display for the time being. The other birds, however, were very much visible, and turned out to be one of the few bird exhibits to focus on displaying native fauna, with all but one of the species housed residing in Belgium. They housed:

    Ruff (Calidris pugnax) +
    Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) +
    European Turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur turtur) +
    Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
    Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) +
    White-headed Buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)

    Whenever I visit a zoo, there are expected highlights (things that I knew would be brilliant, and were), disappointments (things that I thought would be brilliant, but weren’t) and unexpected highlights (things that I either knew little of, or expected little of, but was pleasantly surprised by). And this was definitely the first of Antwerp’s unexpected highlights. As mentioned, seeing a focus on Belgian birds was very pleasant, and although it did render my dream of having my first ever hoopoe be a wild one, it was all the same a nice encounter that shows what can be achieved by focusing on native animals. I imagine most zoo visitors don’t realise that their country is home to as extravagant a crest as the Hoopoe, or as vibrant a colour scheme as the Golden Oriole, so I have no doubt that for many, this has the potential to be rather enlightening, and for the better! The orioles and buffalo-weavers were both lifeticks, with the latter being particularly exciting, given my fondness of weavers (along with hornbills, they are among my favourite birds) and the fact that just about every zoo opts to display Village Weavers in their aviaries as opposed to more exciting and exotic variants. The Ruff were also displaying a unique behaviour - their pond had been entirely frozen over due to the cold temperatures, and as such, they were using their beaks to break through the ice, and then drink out of the water. It was entirely unnecessary, given that they also had drinking bowls in which they could acquire their water, but perhaps their wading instincts were too strong to overcome the lure of the water! Either way, I am certainly not complaining, as this was a behaviour which I had heard about several times, but never seen in person.

    [​IMG]

    It is also worth noting that, while in this area of the zoo, I passed a small, wooden enclosure for North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) against the wall of the Moorish Temple.

    On that note, we grabbed a coffee from the Restaurant Savanne, and although I would have liked to have had it while moving around, my family insisted that we sit down; this turned out to be a rather good choice, as the views of the neighbouring Buffalo Savannah from the restaurant were very pleasant, offering my first view of a massively long-overdue lifetick, the Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer), a subspecies of African Buffalo which I have wanted to see for as long as I could remember. Surely, this species displays some of the most striking subspecific differences of any animal, with the Congo Buffalo, the only subspecies which I had seen prior, having vastly different colourations, being close to half the weight, and possessing radically different horns. Truth be told, had I not known prior to seeing Antwerp’s animals that they were the same species as the Congo animals with which I am so familiar, I would never have guessed that to be the case. It truly is rather bizarre. Having finished my coffee. I was now eager to enter the Savannah, which doubles as a walkthrough aviary, and briefly found myself confused as to how to do so. The answer was to return to the gorillas, passing their outdoor enclosure and the entrance to their own stalls, then past the outdoors for the chimpanzees, and into the Kitum Cave.

    The Cave is 67 metres of mock rock tunnel underneath the restaurant, which provides views of the outdoor enclosures for the gorillas, chimpanzees and buffalo, while a network of tunnels and climbing offer a small indoor playground for children and interesting water features attempt to give the impression of it being a genuine cave. I felt as though this was the perfect place for some sort of nocturnal exhibit, especially given that the zoo’s nocturnal house closed a few years ago as part of the renovations to the Jubilee Complex and the zoo has stated that they do not plan on re-opening it. Perhaps there isn’t enough space and too much light for a fully-fledged nocturnal house, but some sort of display, smaller in scale is certainly possible. As it is, the cave feels like a massive waste of potential, with my only genuine takeaway from it being how much of an eyesore the mock rock used is when compared to the zoo’s older, more tasteful buildings. However, at least the view into the buffalo enclosure allows for some fantastic views of the zoo’s four animals, even if the glass was a bit reflective.

    [​IMG]

    We then entered the Buffalo Savannah itself, the gate to which lies at the end of the cave. I wasn’t expecting much, but I was absolutely blown away. Perhaps it was a matter of luck, as I cannot attribute this feature to any particular design element of the exhibit, but I don’t think that I have ever seen birds fly this much for such a prolonged period of time barring at flight shows. In every direction, a spectacular variety of birds took to the skies, casting shadows on visitors, often swooping narrowly above the heads of their spectators. That in itself was impressive enough, but what made it even more impressive is that most of the aviary’s birds are enormous, with seven species of pelecaniformes, two of raptors and two of hornbill all on display, housed in very large groups. The aviary is large enough so as to ensure that they never feel cramped or troubled while in flight, and the result is a truly spectacular display of a brilliant variety of birds that may well be the best outdoor walkthrough aviary in which I have ever found myself. If the (very frosted) signs are to be trusted, then the aviary houses:

    Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
    Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
    Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
    Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea)
    Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rüpelli)
    Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)
    White-faced Whistling-duck (Necrocyna viduata)
    more White-headed Buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)
    Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
    Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
    Black-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata)
    Von der Decken’s Hornbill (Tockus deckeni)
    African Spoonbill (Platalea alba)
    Blacksmith Plover (Vanellus armatus)
    Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
    Fulvous Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)
    Abdim’s Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
    Violet Turaco (Tauraco violaceus)
    Yellow-necked Francolin (Pternistis leucoscepus)
    Eastern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani)
    Yellow-billed Stork (Myctera ibis)
    Southern Bald Ibis (Geronticus calvus)

    From the above list, three species provided a lifetick - the Laughing Dove, the Black-casqued Hornbill, and the Yellow-necked Francolin. All three of these species were seen, although sadly, the hornbill, which, as a lover of all bucerotids, was the priority, was only visible from a tremendous distance. To salt the wound, my family informed me that, while they were in the restaurant and I was not, the hornbill swooped down and perched right in front of the window, chasing various ibis away and posing rather visibly for his spectators. That mild disappointment aside, this aviary’s species list is amazing. There are the eleven enormous species that steal the show and the attention of all who find themselves in the exhibit, and then there are the smaller birds, for those who are on the lookout, darting across the undergrowth or between the trees or even, in the case of one Superb Starling, on the roof of the buffalo stables right under the wing of a vulture! This is surely one of the most spectacular zoo exhibits that I have ever seen.

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    Another thing that I should note at this point is that Antwerp is a city zoo, limited by its mere 10 hectares (25 acres) and the complete inability to expand that comes as a result of being in an entirely urbanised area. To worsen matters, the zoo (quite rightly) is reluctant to touch or damage its gorgeous historic monuments, vastly restricting what it can in fact work with. I feel as though the Buffalo Savannah is a genius solution to all of Antwerp’s urban problems that other city zoos in a similarly problematic situation (like my home zoo, London) could learn from. For starters, it took one of the zoo’s beautiful old monuments, the 1898 rhino stables, a building of considerable historic value having been home to the first ever white rhinos in captivity upon their arrival in 1950, I believe. Naturally, as animal welfare standards improved, the habitat outgrew rhinos, so Antwerp downsized its ungulate inhabitants to buffalos (still a crowd-pleaser), and by casting a net over the exhibit, managed to fit both a hoofstock enclosure and a walkthrough aviary into the same area, saving space in a zoo which doesn’t have much of it and also incorporating some of the zoo’s historic areas into a modern setting. All the while, the enclosure isn’t too small, just about big enough for the buffalos and providing plenty of space for its avian inhabitants. Simply wonderful!

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    By this time, my perception of Antwerp Zoo was a very positive one. For a while, I was beginning to think that all the zoo really had to offer was rare species and beautiful structures, but after the Buffalo Savannah, and to an extent the European aviaries, with the ape habitats not being half bad, things were looking tremendously positive! However, upon exiting the Buffalo Aviary, we were greeted by the Egyptian Temple. Indeed, this building, one of the most beautiful examples of 19th Century zoo architecture in existence. Inspired by the architecture of certain Egyptian cultures, with hieroglyphic text wrapped around it that spells out a genuine message, it truly is jaw-dropping to be in the presence of; due to its architectural significance, it was one of the things that I was most excited about when visiting Antwerp, and in that regard, it most certainly did not disappoint. However my hopes that architectural brilliance would, in this case, translate to welfare triumphs, were sadly somewhat misplaced.

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    Upon walking in, I was greeted by the sight of a long and charming hallway lit by sunlight from the glass roof above. I am informed that there was once a small basin in the centre of the House that housed sea turtles, however it has not done so for well over a century by now. Instead, at the end of the hall, in a stall covered by a glass sheet, was Antwerp’s herd of non-subspecific Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), huddled together inside due to the cold. They have access to a perfectly sizable mixed-species savannah next door, which is entirely appropriate as a modern-day giraffe enclosure, with the only real issues arising from when cold weather such as this forces all of them indoors at once, which I imagine is a rather rare occurrence. My issue with the temple certainly does not concern them.

    Instead, it concerned what happened after the sound of a very large door opening and closing echoed across the old building, and all the crowds of visitors, myself included, who were admiring the giraffes, darted to the entrance of a building to find the source of the noise. It came from the first of Antwerp’s two bull Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) entering the building from their outside paddock, in which they had, despite the cold, chosen to spend most of the day. The animal had damp patches around its eyes and between its back legs, to me clearly signalling that it was in musth, although I could be mistaken. The stall in which it had entered was, quite evidently, too small for him, but not depressingly so. That was until the other bull elephant, clearly older, and visibly larger, than the other, also entered the building. With two tremendous animals in such a small space, they could not move without scraping one another with their tusks. The other bull, equally, appeared to be in musth, which is not an issue given that it is a natural behaviour - but the problem arrives from that the bulls were taking any aggression that came as a result on musth out on one another, and the stall provided absolutely no space for the smaller bull to evade the larger one if this became too stressful, which I imagine, given that musth can last for two to three months, it may well do. I also acknowledge that I am not all that knowledgeable regarding elephant behaviour, and it is entirely possible that what I was seeing is a healthy occurrence in a bachelor group, and equally possible that the animals are not, in fact, in musth.

    [​IMG]

    It was 1:30, so we made our way back to the Restaurant Savanne for a somewhat belated lunch, on our way passing the first of two Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) enclosures, with this one being shared with Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni), in what was once the zoo’s Small Deer House. Of course, I somewhat hope that the building reverts to its original purpose, as small deer are considerably more interesting than either of the building’s current inhabitants, and this is one of two meerkat enclosures at Antwerp. I settled for a chile con carne, which was rather nice - the one slight issue is that there was not a single item on the menu that catered for my mother’s gluten allergy, but alas. Having finished my lunch, I became fearful that we were running out of time to finish the zoo; knowing full well that I was a faster zoo-goer than any of them, and that none of them were remotely bothered by the prospect of not finishing the zoo in its entirety by its closure, we agreed to split up for the remainder of the day.

    Upon finishing my lunch, I made my way towards the so-called Savannah, which, as well as the outdoor habitats for giraffes, houses the zoo’s Grant’s Zebra (Equus quagga boehmi) and Southern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum). The signs around the enclosure seem to suggest that, while the rhinos have access to the entire habitat, the zebras and giraffes can only access half each. I am not sure why this practice is in place, nor how it is enforced, so I am led to believe that the signs were misleading and this is not the case. Regardless, this remains the only zoo to date that I have visited in which rhinos were present and yet I was unable to see one, which is rather odd. I associated this with the cold weather, assuming that the rhinos were simply too cold to venture outdoors, but was informed by family members later on in the day which they had, in fact, seen the rhinos very much visible; frustrating, but not problematic, given that I had seen the species several times before. And, to make up for it, the zebras were very much visible.

    [​IMG]

    A building opposite the former Pig House offers a panoramic view of the Savannah, which appears to be a decent habitat, certainly not the greatest mixed-species savannah which I have ever seen, but by no means bad. This building contained yet more meerkat, this time sharing their enclosure with Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), making Antwerp one of several zoos that I have visited to feature multiple meerkat enclosures; I think the fact that they are easy to care for and popular among visitors really makes them the perfect filler species when an enclosure finds itself devoid of captive inhabitants. It is a minor issue that becomes a tragedy when such habitats as the Small Deer House are affected. On the topic of the Pig House, this historic building, which now lies sadly empty, is yet another instance of Antwerp honouring its history through pleasant statues dotted across its gardens, in this case, the statue of a boar.

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    I was now beginning to fear that the Buffalo Savannah was the best that Antwerp had to offer, and that the zoo would never again reach that same quality. Thankfully, I was about to be proven entirely wrong. In the distance, I saw a pair of Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) spinning in a clear pool. Although not particularly generous in surface area, the pool was deep, rocky and pleasant, a fun place to admire the seals. Thanks to my trip to the Scottish Hebrides last year, these are one of the few species which I can very proudly claim to have seen in the wild before in captivity, however the different angle offered by this tank in the shape of underwater viewing was nonetheless rather pleasant. The seals guarded the entrance to the zoo’s indoor penguin complex, which provided yet another angle from which to view the pinnipeds as they swam by. They were mesmerising and great fun to watch, although at the speeds they were moving, photography was close to impossible.

    Opposite the seals were the penguins, an exhibit which I was excited for mainly on the basis that it featured my first ever Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), along with my second ever King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) and the more standard Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua). What I was not expecting was that, while certainly not the best from the perspective of the animals, this would comfortably assert itself as my personal favourite penguin enclosure. This can be attributed to the sheer depth of the pool, which appears to be considerably deeper than any penguin habitat I have seen barring perhaps Edinburgh, but even then I think it is barely edged out. This allows the penguins to perform their natural behaviour of diving and porpoising, in doing so, leaving most visitors utterly shocked at the sheer speeds at which these creatures can swim, as they leap into the pool, briefly disappear from view, and then reappear at phenomenal pace. Truthfully, watching three or four penguins the size of a small child (only the Kings were diving) swim in such a manner for so long is quite spectacular and one of the most entertaining things that I have ever seen in a zoo. And judging from the audible exclamations of excitement among other visitors, I don’t think I am alone in that belief.

    You are then released into a tall room featuring two open-topped freshwater tanks for Japanese Koi Carp (Cyprinus carpio domestica) and Goldfish (Carassius auratus domestica), that serves as a lobby of sorts for the zoo’s aquatic offerings, because as well as featuring a possible entrance to the Penguins, it also serves as the entrance to the zoo’s Aquarium.

    As far as zoo aquariums go, I haven’t seen very many. It is quite evident that Burgers’ is the best, so vast in scale and imaginative in its exhibitry approaches that it could comfortably rival the dominance of other European aquariums were it its own attraction. In joint second and third were the now-closed aquariums at London and Bristol, the former for its comprehensiveness and the latter for its quality. But Antwerp has topped them both, now alone at second place, falling short only of Burgers’, although by a fairly considerable amount.

    It is nearly as big as London’s, potentially containing more species, however, and almost certainly with more individuals due to its tanks clearly being better-stocked and more lively as a result. In terms of quality, its tanks aren’t quite as imaginative as Bristol’s, but for the most part, they are a bit larger, and with better water quality, are almost certainly better for the fish that inhabit them. And there is one field in which it completely dominates - architecture. It is just one, long hall, somewhat resembling a 19th Century arcade, with the walls and arches being packed with luminescent tanks (saltwater to the left and freshwater to the right) that create an unparalleled beauty. And at the far end is a floor-to-ceiling coral reef tank that is truly gorgeous and has the entire building feeling luminated and colourful. Sadly, I did not photograph the signs for the freshwater tanks or the final coral tank, and as such, I don’t have a species list, but the saltwater tanks contained:

    Jointed Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus) +
    Long-spine Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum) +
    Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) +
    Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
    Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
    Red Starfish (Echinaster sepositus) +
    Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax) +
    Red Sea-Squirt (Halocynthia papillosa) +
    Boar Fish (Capros aper)
    European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) +
    Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) +
    Goldsinny Wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) +
    Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)
    Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) +
    Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)
    Thornback Ray (Raja colvata) +
    Painted Ray (Raja undulatus)
    Nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris) +
    Common Starfish (Asterias rubens) +
    Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta)
    European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) +
    Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) +
    Pouting (Trisopterus luscus) +
    Tub Gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) +
    Flathead Mullet (Mugil cephalus)
    Spiny Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) +
    Silver Moony (Monodactylus argenteus) +
    Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) +
    Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) +
    more Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) +
    Sapphire Devil (Chrysiptera cyanea)
    Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) +
    Coral Catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus)
    Black Seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus) +
    Common Seabream (Pagrus pagrus) +
    Axillary Seabream (Pagellus acarne) +
    Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) +
    Mediterranean Moray (Muraena helena) +
    White Bream (Blicca bjoerkna)

    It is worth noting that the above species list is not quite complete, as it excludes corals - the tank with the epaulette sharks and coral catsharks also featured a few other species, however my photograph of their tank’s signage is far too blurry to be of any use. Overall, I think Antwerp’s Aquarium is absolutely fantastic and most certainly proved me wrong in my assumption that the Buffalo Savannah was the best that Antwerp has to offer, as this ever so slightly topped it, I believe.

    Upon exiting the Aquarium, I was greeted by a spacious but rather barren enclosure for Sulawesi Babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis), as the path began to scale a reasonably steep hillside slope towards the building above the aquarium, the Reptile House.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    So there is Part 2! I certainly hope that you all enjoyed, and Part 3 will be out tomorrow. Chances are that I will take a break from this thread on Christmas Day, so the review of Museum des Sciences Naturelles will not be out until the following day. I hope you are enjoying this thread so far!
     
  9. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19 Aug 2022
    Posts:
    685
    Location:
    London, England
    Part 3 ~ Highs, Lows and Hippos:

    In the previous post, I expressed, to the best of my ability, my immense fondness for Antwerp’s Aquarium. The trouble is, even before I entered that wonderful exhibit, it was playing for second with London and Bristol; even if I gave in to the charms of its architecture, fantastic collection and lively tanks, it would not be able to displace Burgers’ as my absolute favourite zoo aquarium, and truth be told, I don’t think anything ever will. However, there is another kind of house that many zoos have attempted, and that Antwerp does have its own answer to, in which I have never seen anything truly world-class, and as such, I entered knowing that there was a genuine chance that Antwerp would assert its attempt as my number one exhibit in that individual category - and I think I was correct. Of course, I am talking about the Reptile House.

    Situated just above the aquarium, atop a steep hill from which it overlooks the rest of the zoo, this imposing building, supported on either side by tall stone pillars, can only be entered from a small and unassuming door above the aforementioned babirusa. Upon walking in, you are greeted by a small vivarium for Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), and then a dimly lit forest of hanging branches. At the time that I entered, it was all rather calm, but within a few minutes, I got caught in a fake storm of sorts, in which the light levels change wildly and loud sound effects give the impression of thunder and splintering branches. It was fun for guests, and from the perspective of the inhabitants, I feel it could be rather enriching. So what are said inhabitants? The most notable are the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), of which Antwerp seems to display three. But more interesting to me was the presence of Black Iguana (Ctenosaura similis) in some of the trees across the enclosure. The practice of housing smaller, but arboreal species, alongside larger, more dangerous, but more terrestrial (and in this case semi-aquatic!) ones, is a criminally underused one in my eyes, as it can lead to some entertaining mixed-species habitats that are still very much safe. I would love to see more zoos attempt this! If memory serves, Antwerp’s iguanas in fact share this enclosure with another species, but my photo of the signage has corrupted, and as such, I cannot remember who.

    Opposite the alligators is a beautiful semi-aquatic vivarium, phenomenally designed and landscaped that houses one of the broadest mixes of semi-aquatic reptiles that I have ever seen. There were Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis), a species that I finally got to observe swimming, a behaviour which I had long-since known them to be capable of, but had never actually witnessed in person prior, alongside Weber’s Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus weberi), Branderhorst’s Snapping Turtle (Elseya branderhorsti), a lifetick, Central African Giant Mud Turtle (Pelusios chapini), a lifetick housed only at two European collections, and the closely related African Keeled Mud Turtle (Pelusios carinatus), Europe’s only remaining individuals of the species if ZTL is to be trusted. As an enormous lover of freshwater turtles, these lifeticks were rather exciting, and it was especially good to get such brilliant views of them. Pictured below is a caiman lizard which, despite how the incredible water clarity in the tank may make it seem, is, in fact, rather deep underwater!

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    Opposite that wonderful vivarium is a window into a breeding room of sorts for the herptiles, something that most reptile houses, it seems, attempt to perform. That said, Antwerp is probably my favourite example of this, as I didn’t quite realise how ridiculously minute newborn testudines in fact are. There were Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri), Southeast Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), the latter housed in two tanks, and Red-footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius), along with two Moroccan Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx nigriventris) and a seemingly unsigned iguana species.

    Then began a long, winding hallway of fantastic habitats. Antwerp, I think, has less terrariums than certain other reptile houses, such as London, and yet the sheer size of the terrariums coupled with the innovative mixed species habitats results in a larger and more varied species inventory all the same, kept mostly in more memorable terrariums. And that is what makes Antwerp’s Reptile House so utterly amazing. The next terrarium housed Green Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus), Smith’s Green-eyed Gecko (Gekko smithii), Solomon Island Giant Skink (Corucia zebrata) and the adult Southeast Asian Box Turtle. The gecko would have been a highlight, one of only two remaining individuals of their species in Europe, although they were sadly nowhere to be seen in their enormous enclosure (ZTL states that they departed the collection earlier this year, although the possibly outdated signage suggested otherwise).

    The next terrarium, rather curiously, mixed Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) with Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis). Although I have been to several zoos that display cane toads, I was yet to have seen one visible, and as such it was very fun to finally do so; I knew that they were large, but I was still somewhat caught off guard by the sheer size of them - no wonder they are such a threat as an invasive species! The next terrarium mixed Zoutpansberg Girdled Lizard (Smaug depressus), a lifetick, with Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) and Standing’s Day Gecko (Phelsuma standingi). Geckos were also present in the next tank in the shape of Yellow-headed Day Gecko (Phelsuma klemmeri), who, in another curious mix, share their habitat with two species of poisonous dendrobate, the Variable Poison Dart Frog (Ranitomeya variabilis), a beautifully coloured and decently rare species that I had missed at Paignton a few years prior, and the more common Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas). These were followed by Kaiser’s Spotted Newt (Neurergus kaiseri).

    It was at this point that the storm appeared at the alligator enclosure, so after briefly watching that to see if it stirred any crocodilian activity (one of the three began slowly drifting around the pool), I returned to the row of vivariums to find Malagasy Ground Boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis), followed by a rather exciting mixed-species tank. It was here that I found Long-nosed Horned Frog (Megophrys nasuta), a curious and fascinating amphibian, with excellent camouflage and an intimidating appearance, which I have wanted to see for a very long time, but had always assumed was absent from captivity. As it turns out, they are decently common in most of Europe, with this being yet another species which the UK is entirely absent of. They are just as impressive in person as I had always imagined, and were another unexpected highlight of my visit. They shared their enclosure with another lifetick, which I sadly could not locate, the Crocodile Skink (Tribolonotus gracilis). They were followed by Oriental Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis).

    Next was one of the largest terrariums of the entire house, housing the adult Red-footed Tortoise alongside Cuban Iguana (Cyclura nubila), one of the most striking iguana species that I have seen, immediately reminding me of the (infamously inaccurate) dinosaur statues at Crystal Palace Park that I grew up with, but with a hint of dark blue. Only one collection on mainland Great Britain (plus Jersey) actually houses the species, so it too served as a lifetick. I think it is far more remarkable to admire than several other iguana species of a similar size. These were followed by decidedly smaller terrariums, with the first housing White-lipped Tree Frog (Nyctimystes infrafrenatus), the second housing Dyeing Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), Brazilian Poison Dart Frog (Ranitomeya vanzolinii) and Merten’s Day Gecko (Phelsuma robertmertensi), a rather rare species. Then there is yet another (the third so far!) mix of dendrobates and day geckos, this time featuring Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda), Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus), and yet more Variable Poison Dart Frogs. And, for the fourth time, the same mix idea is repeated, this time with Peacock Day Gecko (Phelsuma quadriocellata) and Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates azureus).

    Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) and Phantasmal Poison Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi) follow. These were followed by some rather out-of-place invertebrate habitats housing Brazilian Salmon-pink Tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana) and an animal that was, somewhat frustratingly, signed simply as ‘Millipede.’ Then there was the largest terrarium that I have ever seen for Carpet Python (Morelia spilota), and a similarly vast habitat for Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus). A brilliant mix of lizards, featuring Frill-necked Lizard (Chalmydosaurus kingii), Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei), Spiny-tailed Monitor (Varanus acanthurus) and Shingleback Giant Skink (Tiliqua rugosa) follows, as the theme of House begins to shift away from rainforests and towards deserts. The Shingleback was a curious and unexpected lifetick, which I did not know the zoo displayed.

    More mixes of desert lizards are to follow, with Blue Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus cyanogenys), Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) and Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) being next. The enormous Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) follow in another tremendously spacious terrarium, followed by the Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria), one of my absolute favourite snake species, and yet one that is rarely given large enough habitats for it; it was very nice to see a zoo that finally did so. Next up were the adult Moroccan Spiny-tailed Lizards. Two extremely rare and impressive snake lifeticks followed, the Great Lakes Bush Viper (Atheris nitschei) and the Rhinoceros Viper (Bitis nasicornis), the former being far more vibrantly-coloured in person than in photos (Antwerp is one of only four European zoos to keep this incredible species). The rhinoceros vipers are surely among the world’s most bizarre snakes.

    Bizarre in a similar manner is the Giant Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma asio), who share their enclosure with Motagua Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura palearis), both of whom being lifeticks. Around the corner was a decidedly more common, but in my opinion, given my love of venomous snakes, more exciting species, the Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia); even though the species is present in the United Kingdom, I have in fact never seen one, and as such, this encounter was fairly exciting. Thankfully, the species was posed rather visibly at the front of the habitat, allowing for this photo to be taken.

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    At that moment, the corridor widens to reveal the largest enclosure in the building, that for the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Although I have seen them countless times, I will never not be impressed by the size and majesty of the world’s largest lizard, the only lizard so impressive that most zoos devote to them their own themed complexes, which never fail to draw in crowds. Indeed, this is the first time that I have ever seen them casually dropped into a reptile house; having said that, they are clearly the stars of the show, and there is a nice symmetry in which the komodos and the alligators, the House’s largest inhabitants, are each housed at opposite ends of the complex, both ends happening to be visibly different from the outside, their facades pentagonal and lined with pillars. The enclosure for the komodos is fairly decent, although I have certainly seen better. I returned to the reptile house later on in the day, and saw that this too has a storm effect of sorts in the sense that the entire enclosure was flooded with mist, the outline of the komodos only barely visible through the fog.

    It is also worth noting that the komodo enclosure is not the only one in the room; Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum), another lifetick, are also present, as is a large mixed-species habitat for Madagascar Tree Boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis) and Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) and a smaller terrarium for the building’s final (of 6!) gecko species, the Giant Madagascar Day Gecko (Pholsuma grandis), sharing with the vibrantly coloured Sambava Tomato Frog (Dyscophus guineti). This room feels like a very appropriate finale to the Reptile House, and although there is the option to leave here, it is not.

    Instead, visitors are guided into a walkthrough enclosure of sorts for Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), in which there is absolutely nothing to stop the iguanas from crossing your path. You also share the space with African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), as do the iguanas, however the fact that your pathway is slightly raised, coupled with the tortoises’ complete inability to lift themselves over the rocks, meant that they could not cross the pathway. Interestingly, the reptiles actually share their enclosure with Pekin Robin (Leiothrix lutea) and Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae). I am not sure whether or not this is the zoo acknowledging the links between birds or reptiles, or simply because having free-flying birds immediately enriches any walkthrough! Either way, I thought it was a nice addition.

    On that note, I left the Reptile House, feeling fairly certain that it was, beyond doubt, the best such exhibit which I have ever seen in a zoo, and I probably preferred it to both the Buffalo Savannah and the Aquarium. It is an absolute masterclass, that has really perfected the concept - quite an impressive claim, given just how common reptile houses are in zoos!

    As you begin making your way downhill, you pass by a series of rocky habitats with mixed substrates, usually rather well- landscaped and decent aesthetically, but ultimately rather uninspiring and hardly the most spacious such enclosures that I have ever seen. The first formerly housed the zoo’s takin, but now sits sadly empty, and the second houses Alpaca (Vicugna vicugna pacos), while the third, the largest of the bunch, houses Lion (Panthera leo). I was rather eager to see the zoo’s male lion, Nestor, as I had read that he is believed to descend from wild-caught West African Lion (Panthera leo senegalensis), the most endangered lion subspecies in the world. Although it is not certain, that would make him the last surviving individual of his subspecies in Europe (possibly in captivity), and as such, was certainly a target. However, when I arrived, there were no lions to be seen, barring a cub (one of three recently born at the zoo), who was pacing along the wall of a separation enclosure at the back. At first, I suspected that the cubs and female were separating from Nestor for the cubs’ safety, however then I came to a concerning realisation - the moat that separated the lions from visitors (along with a very low rock wall which would not stop a pouncing lion) was entirely frozen over. I then suspected, although I cannot say for certain, that the lions are instead being kept elsewhere not for the safety of the cubs, but rather for the visitors. Alas, I would not be able to see Nestor, but I settled for the rather adorable cub. As his West African descent is not confirmed, the biggest loss is in fact that the lions have a Hagenbeck-inspired predator-prey setup of sorts with the alpacas in the background, something that is almost non- existent in UK zoos and as such would be rather fun to watch, had the lions and alpacas been more active!

    [​IMG]

    By this time, the weather was worsening, so I began making my way towards the Hippo House for some shelter, along my way being heartbroken to find, tucket away beside the lion enclosure, a third Meerkat enclosure! Entirely needless and a tremendous waste of space! They were followed by California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus), who, despite the cold, remained outdoors; I saw three or four sea lions leaping around excitedly, and truth be told, I don’t think I have ever seen pinnipeds so active except at designated displays, which was great fun, despite making photographing the animals an impossible task.

    From there, you are invited to a rather pleasant area of the zoo, enclosed and sheltered entirely by trees. A stream ran through this area, with the area around it housing a group of Nutria (Myocastor coypus), one of many species that I saw in Antwerp that, due to its rarity in UK zoos compared to being relatively common in Europe, is a long overdue lifetick for me. As such, I was rather disappointed (although hardly surprised, given my eternal failure to see similar species such as beavers) when I could not find any. Thankfully, upon returning later in the day, I found a pair of the incredible rodents climbing across their frozen stream, somehow braving the cold that comes from standing on ice, playing with enrichment items which had, for some reason, been left there. It was bizarre, but very fun, and it is my deepest regret that I did not take any pictures.

    Just around the corner, is a decently sized lake for Harbour Seals. Although these individuals, sadly, did not have underwater viewing in the same sense as the seals by the Aquarium, they were equally fun to admire, as there were no less than five of them, an enormous group compared to what I have seen at other zoos regarding pinnipeds, a great thing given the enormous numbers in which I have observed this tremendously social species group in the wild. Just around the corner, was the zoo’s Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus), an interesting species, of which Antwerp displays a pair, both of whom spent the day huddled up indoors visible only through remarkably steamed up windows! On that note, we entered the Hippo House, pictured below, with the Tapir House just visible in the bottom left.

    [​IMG]


    One of the zoo’s first major buildings was a Hippo House, on the location of the current one, which was sadly destroyed during wartime bombings. The indoor basins, however, survived, and remain a nice touch of history and character in what is otherwise a very modern building. I was rather excited to observe the zoo’s hippos, as along with elephants, bears and apes, they are beyond doubt my favourite ‘ABC animal’ (that is, an crowd-pleasing animal loved by members of the public but too common to be of any interest to more regular zoo-goers), and the fact that most UK collections display them require a car to access from where I currently live, I have not seen them since the summer of 2020, around the time that our family disowned our vehicle. As such, I excitedly walked into the Hippo House - and it did not disappoint!

    Upon walking in, I was greeted by eye contact with one of the zoo’s two Common Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius), who was resting the head on the back of the other, barely surfaced, its eyes and ears ever so slightly above the water. There wasn’t a single other individual in this room - just me and two utter behemoths of an animal. You are separated from the hippos themselves only by a short glass fence, that could easily be peered over, and the result was quite terrifying. Their breathing was clearly audible, their eye contact was direct, and above all, their presence could be felt. It is quite difficult to describe, but this kind of zoo exhibit - quiet, indoor stables where the barrier is easy to peer over (or through, as is the case with bars) without placing the animal below you. An even more terrifying moment happened when a keeper (who had closed their land stalls so as to clean them out) moved a piece of heavy equipment, startling a hippo who then fully submerged themselves. And knowing that one of the most dangerous animals in the world is in a body of water a few metres from where you stand, and yet having no idea of its exact whereabouts (barring it occasionally surfacing) is surely one of the most terrifying situations that I have ever been in. Whether or not it is the best hippo enclosure I have seen (which it may well be if I am right in my assumption that the grass in the outdoor area becomes a bit more numerous during summer months), it is beyond doubt my favourite!


    [​IMG]

    The Hippo House isn’t quite complete. Right beside it is one of the most curious aviaries that I have ever seen, in that its surface area is rather small, but its vertical height is jaw-dropping; the imposing structure is supported by the hippo house below, which also provides the birds with a very interesting place in which to perch. Sadly, I did not see it in good conditions. The recent rain meant that the upper level viewing was entirely closed, and the cold meant that no birds, barring a select few unsigned species of waterfowl, were actually using the outdoor area. I also could not find any signage, so I left the House and began searching for any indoor viewing or a species list, ultimately finding neither. I did, however, find a large aviary for some absurdly loud Mexican Green Military Macaw (Ara militaris mexicana), and another beautiful statue in place to commemorate the zoo’s rich history, in this case, the fantastic record which they have with elephant seals, the world’s largest pinniped species.

    [​IMG]

    From there, I began making my way excitedly towards the Bird House, on my way passing an Eastern Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) enclosure and the renovations to the Jubilee Complex. I will certainly have to return to Antwerp when the new complex is complete, even if its most notable exhibit, the Nocturama, will no longer be present, mainly out of curiosity to see how this zoo, with such limited space, manages to care for so many large crowd-pleasers, without presenting any with enclosures that feel cramped or undersized. Perhaps it will be the better version of London Zoo’s ‘Land of the Lions.’

    So why was I so excited for the Bird House? It came down to one species - the Black Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus). As mentioned earlier, I am rather fascinated by weavers, and as such, found myself longing to see more of that fascinating group of birds than the Village Weavers present at so many zoos. I had already seen the Buffalo-weaver, and hoped to also leave Antwerp having seen perhaps the most visually striking weaver present in European zoos - the Black Weaver. I made my way to the door of the Bird House, and my heart sunk. It was closed. The entrance was covered in scaffolding, and the doors were locked shut. Flooded with disappointment, I made my way towards the outdoor aviaries, desperately hoping for some sign of my weaver. I found their aviary, shared with yet more buffalo-weavers and a White-crested Turaco (Tauraco leupholophus), both of whom were absurdly active, somehow braving the miserable cold which was beginning to turn into rain. I must have stood outside that enclosure for a solid fifteen minutes (naturally looking briefly at some of the neighbouring habitats on the basis that, even if I wasn’t going to find the weaver, I could at least see something memorable) before I decided to move on, visit the other outdoor aviaries, and return later on in the day. So I did, returning to this enclosure yet again, only for that trip also to end in disappointment.

    Well, we can never have everything our way. I saw the Hamlyn’s Monkeys, the buffalo-weavers, the laughing doves, the sengis, the cobras, the horned frogs, the macaroni penguins, the nutrias and both species of mud turtles. I saw king penguins diving and ruffs breaking ice with their beaks. I saw the most active birds that I have seen in my life, and of course, to top it all off, I saw Amahoro. So perhaps the weavers were allowed to fail me, in the end.

    The rest of the aviaries contained:

    Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi) +
    White-necklaced Partridge (Arborophila gingica)
    Vietnam Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) +
    Sumatran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor)
    Brahminy Starling (Sturnia pagodarum) +
    Palawan Peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis) +
    Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
    more Pekin Robin (Leiothrix lutea) +
    Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus courtois) +
    more White-necklaced Partridge (Arborophila gingica)
    Green Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) +
    Madagascar Partridge (Margaroperdix magarensis)
    Emei Shan Liocichla (Liocichla omeiensis)
    White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) +
    Luzon Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba crinigera)
    Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata)
    Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) +
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) +
    Grey-winged Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans) +
    Green Aracari (Pteroglossus viridis)
    Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius)
    more Green Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus)
    Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)
    European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) +
    Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)
    more Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) +
    European Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) +
    European Roller (Coracias garrulus)

    Despite the closures and the weaver’s elusivity, my visit to this House was not a complete failure. All three of the European Bee-eater, Green Woodhoopoe and Rosy Starling were lifeticks, and all could be seen, even if, in the case of the bee-eater, it was just a fleeting glance. And of course, there was one particular highlight in the Crested Oropendola. Somewhat disappointed, but not entirely disheartened, by the bird house, I concluded that I had seen the entirety of Antwerp Zoo. I revisited highlights from the day, such as the Penguins, the Reptile House, the Hippo House, and, of course, Amahoro. At 3:58, with just two minutes before the zoo’s (irritatingly early) winter closing time, we departed Antwerp Zoo. We spent the evening pottering around the city, which looked beautiful with the Christmas lights, before returning to our accommodation in Brussels.

    After spending a good amount of time reflecting on Antwerp, the conclusions that I came to are tremendously positive. It has taken the limiting site of a 10 hectare city zoo packed with historical monuments, and it has transformed it into something beautiful. It has given one of the best collections in Europe, unbelievably vast and packed with rarities, and granted them with a perfectly adequate standard of exhibitry, hitting a few very impressive highs and only one or two truly unfortunate lows. By honouring its rich history through maintaining some of the most gorgeous architecture of any zoo out there, and caring for its gardens with evident effort, it has built an absolutely perfect city zoo, a model zoo, in many ways, that could inspire so many others - it is an enormous tragedy that similar zoos have not learned from the utter mastery that is Zoo Antwerpen.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well, just forty minutes to spare (GMT), and I kept to my promise. Here is the final part of my Antwerp Zoo review.

    I thoroughly hoped that you all enjoyed reading this. No reviews tomorrow, but a review of the Brussels Museum des Sciences Naturelles will be out on the 26th (Boxing Day, as it is called in Britain).

    On that note, Merry Christmas ZooChat!
     
  10. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    While A.nitschei is still relatively rare, B.nasicornis is one of the more commonly kept viper species in captivity. ZTL lists at least ten zoos in Europe keeping them at the moment, and there are plenty more in the private sector. To be honest, it might just not be the best Bitis species for public display. Bright lights and constant noise will stress them quickly, if not given any retreats and hiding spots. And that vibrant colour tends to dull down when they reach adulthood.
    Come to Austria then; we've got you covered. And the roads are of better quality than those in Belgium.:p;)

    As for the wild boar statue: you'll probably see more copies of it while in continental Europe; it's a very common, often copied model.
    Porcellino - Wikipedia
    Sitzender Keiler – Wikipedia
     
    Last edited: 25 Dec 2022
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  11. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    On the flipside, the public transport to pretty much *all* of the noteworthy collections of venomous snakes (barring your own) is non-existent, so he'd NEED to have the means to take advantage of those roads! :p
     
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  12. Swampy

    Swampy Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    An excellent review of a collection I have never visited, but has definitely just moved up my list of places to make it to. A couple of comments spring to mind;
    • While not exactly common, Gekko smithii (or at least one species in that recently split complex) is present and breeding in private hands in Europe, so could easily appear at other collections.
    • I'm amazed they'd house a species as large as Ctenosaura similis with alligators, as they definitely prey on the invasive population of them in Florida.
    • I believe the total absence of nutria/coypu in the UK is due to invasive species regulations, as the species was eradicated after becoming established at considerable cost.
     
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  13. Penshet

    Penshet Well-Known Member

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    Antwerp is my home zoo, and I have really enjoyed reading through this review! I'll give some answers to your remarks/questions!
    Sadly I'm going to confirm that besides the two (small) outdoor enclosures for mandrills and spider monkeys, none of the other primates have access to an outdoor enclosure. This is due to change though, as starting in 2029 all primates in Belgium have to have access to an outdoor enclosure.

    This enclosure housed another koala until recently (2020ish). The pademelon has been moved from Planckendael to Antwerp and back quite a few times, and is really used as a placeholder.

    I think this must be a mistranslation, as this house never had any small deer. Its last inhabitants were Dybowski's deer in ~2014? Their enclosure encompassed not only the current meerkat enclosure, but also the entirety of the playground in front of the restaurant.

    It's the rhinos and giraffes that have access to one half each, while the zebras have access to the entire enclosure. The rhinos can't pass between the rocks positioned in front of the lock between the two habitats. It's my impression though, that more often than not the two halves are just completely separated.

    Yellow mongoose rather than meerkat.

    I doubt it's possible to see the alpacas from the front of the lion enclosure - the height difference is too great.

    This aviary houses marabou (offshow due to the cold weather), Rüppell's vultures, a single vulturine guineafowl (at least, a few months ago), knob-billed ducks and fulvous whistling ducks.

    Last time I visited, the black weavers were housed with the village weavers in one of the larger outdoor aviaries. Was this not the case anymore?
     
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  14. Kalaw

    Kalaw Well-Known Member

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    You are entirely right in saying that B. nasicornis is among the more common venomous snakes, although that isn't exactly saying much given how rare they are. And, given how venomous snake-deprived the UK is, it was still an entirely new species for me! :p

    Of course, I would love to visit Austria, and Welt der Gifte, one day - alas, it is rather difficult to get to. I can't really comment on Belgian roads, given that we were travelling exclusively by public transport. ;)

    The wild boar statue being so numerous is interesting - I had heard of Il Porcellino, but didn't realise that it was the same design as Antwerp's statue.

    Thank you for your kind comments - Antwerp is fantastic and I am sure that you will love it. I certainly hope that Gekko smithii end up in more collections, hopefully in smaller terrariums where one actually has the chance of seeing the gecko! :p

    The alligator/iguana mix did fascinate me as well; as I mentioned, I would love to see more collections attempt something similar, but you are right in that it does seem somewhat risky!

    I wasn't aware of the nutria restrictions, but that does make a lot of sense - thank you for drawing my attention to that.

    EDIT: Thanks also to @Penshet - I don't believe I can quote a post in an edit, but your replies are very informative. The village and black weavers were both housed in the larger outdoor aviaries, but, if the signs are to be trusted (as I saw neither), they did not share the same aviary. Thanks in particular for the species list of the Hippo House Aviary and for confirming my suspicions that it was the zebra who have access to both halves and not the rhinos. In that case, there is (or at least was on the 16th of December) a misleading sign for the rhinos, between the Buffalo Aviary and the Egyptian Temple.

    Thank you to everyone for your responses! :)
     
    Last edited: 25 Dec 2022
  15. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Public transport options to HdN, HdM, Happ, Innsbruck and Schönbrunn do exist. ;) But Forchtenstein and Nockalm are indeed harder to reach.
     
  16. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Trust me, they are not as rare as they used to be. Try the search option at terraristik.com - that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to general availability. ;)
    Salzburg is one of the most popular touristic cities in Europe and even has an airport (although I'd rather recommend to use MUC). And as mentioned by @TeaLovingDave , our venue is accessible by public transport. :D
     
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  17. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    As you probably guessed, I had assumed you were specifically talking about the specialist and species-dense latter collections :p given I recently used public transport to reach all but Happ (a name I didn't recognise offhand, but looking it up I passed through the parent city of Klagenfurt when on my train to Zagreb) I am well-familiar with how to reach the former collections :) and will happily share my experiences and advice with @Kalaw if they so require in future. Looking at the species listed for Happ on ZTL, they have a few nice oddities I'd be hard-pushed to see elsewhere!

    Just as long as @Kalaw realises that your nearest train station is request-only and that if one doesn't push the button to open the doors before the train pulls into the station (as I did not) the train won't stop :p the walk from the next station is quite pleasant though!
     
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  18. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    I rather suspect that Kalaw got confused and presumed that "Dier" translated to "deer" rather than - as is the case - "animal", and that the structure in question is called the Klein-dier Huis.
     
  19. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I know that you know...;) And I was thinking of all relevant Austrian zoological institutions with more than one species of venomous snakes.
    Additional bonus of visiting that zoo: you can see some of the ugliest dinosaur models ever created there. And travel back in time to the 1990s. ;)
    Can't blame that one on me, can you? ;)
     
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  20. Perseus6

    Perseus6 Well-Known Member

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    Lovely review about part 1. The black faced chimpanzee is a male named Chita. Chita should be easy to observe since they split the group for him to breed with Marit and Mia. Also since Chita was hand reared, he often looks for interaction with humans even though it’s not good for him a female visitor got banned for it. And Amahoro was approximately born in 1989 so she does have a lot of life left in her. Btw both are lowland sub species gorilla.

    About part 2 you did pick a bad time to go to Antwerp since they are renovating a lot right now. It’s a shame of the nocturnal house, however I heard from some of the primate keepers they are looking to expend the primate house a bit and keep one of the more iconic lori species there but that would be years of.

    The birds in the savanna aviary do fly often I thinks its due to the size. The temple does have issues, especially for Assam the zoo has asked the EEP to move him due to his size and safety to work with him. It was a yellow mongoose enclosure with the cape porcupine. And the enclosure wasn’t planned on them. The 2 seals in the old sea otter enclosure are a bit of special need animals and often do show stereotypical behaviour but they are fine. Nestor dependence is confirmed btw they even did DNA analysis.

    A shame of the bird house.

    Perhaps I’m more critical of Antwerp since it’s my home zoo but less then a decade ago I think it was in it’s prime. With the old jubilee complex the nocturnal house and the raptors were amazing for me. I’m sad they chose a lot of large species like the Rhinos and well the Siberian tigers and snow leopards instead of keeping the smaller species. The Savanna aviary is a lovely addition and I while being sadden by the loss of species am happy what they are doing with the primate house. And I do love the new Ape house.

    If you have some questions I do know a lot of the individuals so hit me up.
     
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