Both Angola Giraffes (Lama and Dama) passed away. Stock still 2.1 the breeding pair and the calf of september 2020.
From my visit yesterday I can say the following: - There was only a single lioness on show (tawny female) and the giraffe, zebra and ostrich exhibits were seemingly closed, perhaps for renovations. - There were about six exhibits dedicated to alligators, and there was also a pretty small exhibit being used to keep a cape fur seal near the flamingoes, whose exhibit didn’t look particularly nice either. - I spotted a single Père David’s deer fawn and a blackbuck with an oddly curved horn too. No nilgai were seen as I did a walk around the whole exhibit - There was a single juvenile orangutan who was inside with its mother and father and a bit of cracked glass on one of the viewing areas for what I believe would be adolescent males. - there were two dromedary juveniles present as well Honestly the zoo wasn’t the best one I’ve seen and had quite a bit of room for improvement. I’ll upload pictures soon.
Glad to see news on this park. It really needs a lot of renovations if it wants to become a genuinely good institution. Curved horns on blackbucks tend to be because they are castrated animals, but I could be wrong. I wonder what they plan to do on the giraffe paddock? Btw, did you take any pictures of the new jaguar exhibit? What did you think of it?
I did indeed see the exhibit, home to a single specimen and the first I have seen in slightly less than a decade. Overall it looked sorta like an Ape exhibit with climbing frames and netted roof, and looked pretty spacious. I don’t recall any large water body the jaguars could have used, but that aside aside it was probably one of the best exhibits in the entire zoo.
Development news: RioSafari Elche has entered the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) EEP and they are building a brand new enclosure for them! It seems like it's being built near the giraffe exhibit, both from the picture and the information @Randomname0183 gave us, but I'm not sure. https://twitter.com/RioSafariElche/status/1572548266008645632/photo/1
That seems about right from what I saw, the giraffe and zebra area was closed. Great news for the EEP nonetheless. I do recall hearing what I believe were macaws from the closed off area too.
Maybe this is the place where the terrible parrot aviaries row was located? I know for a fact that they wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, it was one of the requirements to still be at the EAZA (Again, from what I've heard).
News: - The Sri Lankan leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya) are already at the park and the inauguration of their exhibit is expected to be soon or later in the following weeks. The exhibit has been built over existing elements at the zoo and verticality has been taken into account for the well-being of the animals (similar to the jaguar exhibit). The exhibit is 13 meters high and the leopards will be able to climb up to 11 meters. The new leopards at Elche are both males and a year and a half old, they arrived from Brno and Jihlava as part of the subspecies EEP. - In a few weeks time, a male Western pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis liberiensis) going by the name of Tony will arrive at Elche from Dvur Kralove. With the arrival of a male individual to park grounds, the zoo has prepared an extension to the already existing pygmy hippo and sitatunga paddocks so they can comfortably house a male of this species and join him in with the females when it comes to breeding. The park hopes to establish a proper breeding group. Nueva instalación para leopardos de Sri Lanka y un nuevo ejemplar de hipopótamo pigmeo en RSE - Rio Safari Elche
News: - The Sri Lankan leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya) have full access to their indoors and outdoors enclosures and are viewable to the public! Los leopardos de Sri Lanka conocen su nuevo hogar - Rio Safari Elche - A Black-crested mangabey (Lophocebus aterrimus) was born the 28th of December of last year! Offspring of Bella and Motte, being the mom's second time giving birth. Río Safari Elche Facebook
I went to this park a few years ago and I was pleasantly surprised. I had been there many years ago, as a child, and it was almost a prison. Now it has improved a lot. There is obviously a lot of work to be done, but there are some great exhibits. I especially liked the enclosures dedicated to apes. I think that, little by little, this park is on the right track.
I fully agree, the new developments they are making every year are really making the park shine on its own. I remember how this place used to be like when I was a kid and I do not miss those times, it's in a way better state right now.
