A leopard shark has been filmed laying an egg in the Mozambique channel tank. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154892355884719
Will the new snowleopard and clouded leopard enclosures open this year ? How is the renovation of the birdhouse to a freeflight hall coming along ? ...And are there other new enclosures or renovations planned to start this year, maybe opening next year ?
Nothing big, unfortunately. Leopard exhibits are on hold due to funding complications. No other large projects are scheduled. There will be (or already is) a small building near the entrance. It is an education exhibit about climate change, but without live animals. There should be small projects coming, but nothing is confirmed. Recent news construction-wise is an opened new monitor lizard section adjoining the reptile house. It is called 'smoczarnia' or literally dragon house. It holds the zoo's growing komodos and several other species. Afrykarium got a non-geographic leaf-cutter ants exhibit. There is some renovation in the European section which may or may not become an exhibit of native small mammals.
It is first aardvark born in Poland. The birth was very hard (almost one hour resuscitation of newborn by keeper) and tired mother abandoned child so it must be hand-reared. Now baby feel good.
There are more unusual births lately: Red Forest Duiker (first time in Poland I think), two Libyan Barbary Sheep, Alfred Spotted Deer and two Yellow-throated Martens. And one quite new species for Wrocław Zoo: Golden Takin. Female arrived from Berlin Tierpark. Soon join her another female from Dresden and two males from Liberec. Unfortunately Mishmi Takins (1,2) will leave the zoo.
I don’t know why. Maybe because Mr. Ratajszczak likes new challenges. Mishmi takins are quite popular in Poland: Wrocław, Kraków, Gdańsk and Toruń and all these zoos breeding them. Other takins are much rarer: Warsaw has one Sichuan Takin (male) and Poznań has one Sichuan and three Golden (all males, deposit from Berlin Tierpark).So Wrocław has a chance to be first polish zoo to breed Golden takins.
I'm surprised at how critical the reviewer is of Wroclaw, particularly in comparison to Gdansk. I suppose that's fair given how much more money Wroclaw has had thrown at it. It's interesting to read quite a different perspective to my thoughts after visiting both of those zoos.
I think Stacey looks from one particular standpoint: zoo exhibits as storytelling. I agree that Afrykarium at Wroclaw has architectural flaws. It is a huge looming building not fitting its surroundings. Exhibits are made so that visitors see each other and the background, breaking the optical illusion of wildlife. I think organization of a zoo design conference is a sign that Wroclaw zoo management seriously thinks about design, too. However, some things are result of different zoo priorities, like concentrating on endangered species and giving them enough space before creating optical illusions of nature. There are constraints. An old European zoo has to preserve historic buildings and old trees, so cannot create artificial landscapes like Disney theme parks (which seem to be the author's ideal). Wroclaw zoo first had to show a building design, then win money for it. As a result, penguins and fur seals (both apparently largest pools for these species in Europe) are surrounded from outside the Afrykarium complex by a wall with only small viewing windows. It is apparently because the Afrykarium was originally designed to be near wall of the zoo, and these were to be viewing windows from the public street.
@jurek, reviews are evidently highly subjective and I doubt that a good number of reviewers really take the local "constraints" on board, they are simply ignorant of them. I agree with your comments made on Wroclaw. Well, we will be able to see that next September ..., right!
Palawan Hornbill (Anthracoceros marchei) hatched in Wrocław Zoo. Probably it's a world's first breeding of this species in any zoo. Also two Blue Cranes hatched.
@Arek, I am not sure if it is a world first. Perhaps some of the captive facilities in the Philippines did so previously, but I am not sure. I do not know quite frankly nor can I remember right now whether the Avilon Zoo kept the Palawan hornbill at all. Maybe I might need to recheck my photos of some years back.
