Those We Have Known....

Some members who's absence I think is a loss...

@Parrotsandrew
- last seen: 23rd October 2017
- date / location of last post: 23rd October 2017 / *photo uploads to Flamingo Land gallery*
- last words: (September 2017, 'Flamingo Land 2017') "The outdoor bit for the Rock Wallabies is going to be incorporated into the walk-through - rocks will be positioned in front of the new shelter which is in the left-hand corner of the area. The Rock Wallabies are expected to remain around the rocks but will not be confined there and will be able to use the whole of the walk-through exhibit if they wish..."

I don't know what happened to him but I think Andrew was a great member. He had a passion for all things parrot and was a great source of knowledge, especially zoo history of places like Dudley and Flamingo Land, and uploaded great photos, old and new.

I particularly enjoyed his humorous uploads to the Sewerby zoo gallery; creating a sort of online photo diary for it. He'd post quirky pictures and light-hearted stories (e.g. the cushion saga, the missing cart, and the wooden board fiasco etc.) that would update us on the life and times of a tiny place that most people would never have heard of. He loved to show off this place that he clearly loved, despite it being somewhere that most people would turn their noses up at, and I think that's admirable.

@lamna
- last seen: Sept 2016
- date / location of last post: March 2016 / 'London zoo 2016 #1'
- last words: "Planning on going at the end of April/early May. Is the Tree Kangaroo on display?"

@chizlit
- last seen: October 2016
- date / location of last post: December 2015 / 'Bear Ravine at Dudley'
- last words: (in response to "Any signs of the bear ravine being used to house animals?" by @meg4150) "None at all sorry to say."

@karenZOO
- last seen: 29th August 2015
- date / location of last post: 29th August 2015 / 'Islands - Opening and impressions'
- last words: "We are due to make our annual visit enroute to the Highlands next week (didn't go last year as went to Blackpool zoo) instead..."

@IanRRobinson
- last seen: July 2016
- date / location of last post: March 2016 / 'London zoo 2016 #1'
- last words:
"Serval dens knocked out to be replaced by a shop. Tiger enclosure levelled to make way for the lodges.....Any historical element of the old terraces removed or off show...
I felt a bit short changed on the species present-there's room to get a small Asian felid in there and I despaired when I saw Dwarf Mongoose

I don't want to pre-judge, but this sounds like my worst nightmare. "Role-playing presented"? Oh, Lordy.

The Marketing Department have taken over London Zoo, chaps. No doubt it's all done based on impeccably arranged surveys, and no doubt senior management are convinced that they're doing the right thing.

All I'm saying is that if unusual and non-box office mammals persist at London in the future, it won't be the rule, it'll be the exception.

I feel very sad about this indeed, but I long since resigned myself to being in the minority."

 

ParrotsAndrew developed a bit of a cult following with his quirky photos from Sewerby over several years, of anything from a keeper's broom to a piece of broken fencing. Some people thought it was wasted gallery space, but I liked it- it was a different slant on a small collection. He also posted a wonderful photo of Sika Deer with their eyes glowing in the dark. He re-appeared briefly more recently when I enquired about the Rock wallaby enclosure at Flamingo Park( see answer above).

Ian Robertson's name I've seen recently on the new World ZooNews Facebook page.

 

Ah yes, Parrotsandrew His photos and stories were always a treat.

 

And he isn't the only Drew who has gone missing, the zoo exhibit designer @Drew has not posted since October!

 

And I believe he was even awarded a 'Pertinax Gold Star' for his efforts

 

Yes, I haven't handed out of those out for some while...

 

@foz
- last seen: Jan 2017
- date / location of last post: March 2016 / 'London Zoo 2016 #1'
- last words: "I must disagree with all the LOTL negativity, I've heard several family proclaim genuine amazement going around it. Furthermore I would make the case that its the only exhibit in the country (willing to be proven wrong) that seriously looks at the complex and growing issues surrounding large-predator human interaction. Where else in the UK does a zoo attempt to tackle tricky and complex concepts, something I'd like to see more of*

IMO London zoo has been incredibly brave, they could have just produced an enclosure for lions, but here they've had the guts to go after a big concept and deliver it with chutzpah.

*(except for the dwarf mongoose...lol)"

- comments: Foz was a member from August 2008 and posted more than 1400 times. They uploaded some great pictures from various zoos, as well as some beautiful photos from a trip to Iceland.


@stubeanz
- last seen: October 2017
- date / location of last post: September 2017 / 'New Collection - Cedars Nature Centre'
- last words: "Oh I should also say that two weeks ago we had our first birth since moving the animals over to CNC. 2 lesser hedgehog tenrecs which are current,y doing very well indeed."

- comments: A former volunteer at Paradise Wildlife Park, he went on to become an animal lecturer in schools. I believe he then went on to found a place called Cedars Nature Centre.


@Communityzoo
- last seen: 14th June 2015
- date / location of last post: 14th June 2015 / 'ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 2015'
- last words: "I find it pretty dismaying that species being 'phased out' by a TAG, EEP/ESB discontinuation is actually a factor for institutions disbanding a sometimes thriving group of animals. Is this so that European zoos can focus on banteng, a species with a healthy, feral population in Australia?

I've heard similar before about pasture with regard to black rhino, but in my ignorance - what is the difference between the grazing they have in their paddock(s) and 'open pasture'?

While there is obviously one or two individuals at the collection planning/curator level doing interesting things at Whipsnade in recent years, I think it will be left to one of the 'maverick' institutions (ie those not so obedient to regional collection plans, such as Hamerton, Exmoor, RSCC, even South Lakes) as they grow, to return this species to the UK if Whipsnade eventually give up, or lose their female and are unable to find a replacement. In some ways, it is understandable that the charitable zoos, if the TAG recommendation is a phase-out, won't allocate funds to overcoming the considerable red tape that would be involved to bring in new blood. I do not know of a captive situation in India where gaur are trained to assist in AI, let alone an example of a zoo importing stock from/exchanging stock with range countries."

- comments: An ex-keeper and one of the London posse, they regularly posted on the ZSL threads. They used to post as @johnstoni, and before then @Hadley.


@Tim Brown
- last seen: 7th October 2017
- date / location of last post: 1st October 2017 / 'LA Zoo: Michael Dee has died'
- last words: "Being the kind of person that doesnt do emails/internet from his mobile phone, this is the first chance ive had to put on record my sadness at this news.I knew Mike quite well and met up with him on half a dozen different occasions.Meeting zoo folks around the world often leads to NOT being in as regular contact as would be ideal and ,in this case,i didnt know Mike was fighting cancer.Its a real loss."

- comments: Well connected and a visitor to over 750 zoos across the globe, Tim started the Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society; an organisation of hundreds of members which publishes both the magazine Zoo! and the quarterly newsletter Zoo Grapevine. He knew quite a lot of significant people in the zoo world and is probably well known in person by a number of zoochatters, but his absence is a big loss to the forums. He joined Zoochat in July 2007.

 

And he has an ambivalent attitude to new technology
And he's busy running a business, as well as producing a quarterly zoo magazine!

 

Someone else that might be worth mentioning is Zygodactyl, who posted quite a bit in their first two weeks, then posted a ton for a two-week period after half a year absent, then posted a ton after almost exactly one year absent, again for only about two weeks. They have MIA since December... I remember them initiating quite a few lively debates. Perhaps they will return again in late November?

Ditto on vogelcommando... they've been gone only a month but their absence is palpable. I hope they're doing well, and beccasunbear/agnmeln also. And of course jbnbsn99, who had a knack for speaking volumes in single-sentence posts.

 

Crisis everted, @vogelcommando has returned!

 

That's the best news I've heard today! Runner-up was on another forum some hostile member decided to leave that forum.

 

Maybe if we speak about other members they will come back too

 

If only....

 

That could be a little hard with jbnbsn99

 

Sorry, only myself and other Necromancers wield that awesome power. But don't worry, I take requests

 

Not realy a return more an odd comment and disappearing under my rock again.As I have found better things to do these days like setting records and annoying Dialysis nurses!

 

Don't worry, he's still around. His most recent activity happened earlier this week, after not visiting the site for a few years.