YOUR 2015

3 LITTLE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON YOUR 2015

1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT

2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS

3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

To which I will answer;

1. Having the Monsoon forest to myself (and a few others) and basically the whole of that day at Chester.

2. Twin aye-ayes at Bristol or another collection hatching a shoebill.

3. The closure of RSCC (again) the gradual degradation of the collection at Edinburgh and losing the grizzled langurs from the UK.


Over to you zoochatters...................

 

1) Private tour (during winter closure) of RSCC on my 50th birthday.

2) Announcement of plans for a very long delayed jaguar exhibit at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

3) The closure of RSCC which ended tentative plans I had helped initiate to bring rusty spotted cats to the USA.

 

1. To see very active Tasmanian Devils at Copenhagen and being able to take pictures of them.

2. The try/effort of some US zoos to get new African Elephants from Africa.

3. How animal rights activists and misleaded authorities have stopped a new and better Orca exhibit at SeaWorld San Diego.

 

In common with several others, the biggest disappointment of the year for me was definitely the closure of the RSCC; my last visit there was an extremely sad day. Over the last couple of years it became one of my favourite collections so I will miss my visits enormously.

However, the RSCC also provided two of the highlights of my zoo visiting year when, owing to the kindness of one of the keepers, I was taken behind the scenes to see the tarsier and spotted cuscus. (Although I had seen Philippine tarsiers several times, many years ago, in both Bristol and Frankfurt, I had never seen Sulawesi tarsiers before; it was also many years since I had last seen a spotted cuscus so the opportunity to see these two species was a special treat for me.)

Other highlights of the year for me included a trip to Ireland and my visits to both Dublin Zoo and Belfast Zoo. Perhaps surprisingly, I had never been to Belfast Zoo before and I was very impressed by it; special thanks to the staff who were so friendly and helpful. Although I had been to Dublin Zoo previously it was many years since my last visit so I was very pleased to return and see the new developments. (And I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Dublin Zoology Museum too.)

I normally attend ZooHistorica and the event this year in Wilhelma (Stuttgart) Zoo was another highlight for me. ZooHistotrica, which provides a good opportunity to meet up with friends, is always an enjoyable event and Wilhelma is probably my third favourite German Zoo (after the two Berlin zoos) so, although I have been there many times, it was great to return. I also took the opportunity to revisit Nuremburg Zoo; again I had been there many times previously but I hadn’t seen the impressive new manatee exhibit before so I was particularly pleased to see that.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your Belfast visit Tim, you are welcome any time.

My highlights would be seeing some species for the first time including spotted cuscus, tarsier, fanaloka and banded palm civet at Rscc. Travelling to Taipei zoo and Beijing and see my first ferret badgers, formoson endemic species, three species of snub-nosed monkey, red goral, Chinese crested ibis and others. I really enjoyed visiting wildplace and Yorkshire wildlife park for the first time too.

Exciting news would also be the twin aye-aye at Bristol, fanaloka birth at RSCC, news of planned Bilby import to Europe, oh and rotterdams Black and rufous sengi breeding again.

Sad news would also be the closure of the RSCC, news of the import of more gerenuk to Berlin and a few further deaths was also sad.

 

1. Zoo visit highlight- I went to the National Zoo in washington DC, and I absolutely LOVED their elephant programs there. I know other zoos are much better but I haven't been to any of those aforementioned better zoos before (well I have but not since their programs have been updated and also I was at an age where I couldn't really appreciate them too much), and so this was so cool for me to see. They had a training demonstration and when I checked out the indoor part (Which I stayed in for at least 45 minutes) Shanthi was displaying amazing behaviors and making music by banging her ears against the wall and was playing tetherball with a ball chained to a post and making a lot of noise. I also noticed the elephants use their trunks to sense vibrations in the ground.

2. Favorite news- I would have to think about this one for a while.

3. Biggest disappointment- Probably all the sad stuff about rhinos that has been happening like how theres no sumatran rhinos in the US anymore (even though its for the greater good, but like its sad that it has come to that) and also Nola dying.

 

1) Visits to the zoos of San Antonio, Texas. My kid was over the moon regarding San Antonio's collection of birds. My wife (who is mostly tolerantly indifferent to my zoo enthusiasm) really loved Natural Bridge Caverns Wildlife Ranch and being able to witness the birth of a Springbok.

2) The effort to bring additional African Elephants to the United States.

3) Did not see Javelina's during my visit to Texas and did not have the time to hit Oklahoma City Zoo & Wichita Mts NWR.

 

1/ Loved my visit to the Hawk Conservancy will be travelling there again next year

2/ Owl world moving into Himley Hall

3/ Chester zoo Islands opening close second RSCC but Chester zoo wins by advertising that Islands was fully open.

 

Very difficult to decide with these questions.

I've been to lots of amazing zoos this year so it's very difficult to decide on one highlight. My behind the scenes tour of Plzen was a highlight, as was visiting Walsrode. I also saw so many new species for the first time with particular highlights being Birds of Paradise and various other species at Walsrode, Pangolins at Leipzig, and lots and lots of other things at Berlin and various other places. Visiting Gondwanaland at Leipzig and the Afrykarium at Wroclaw were exhibit highlights. This year I have been to 25 different zoos in 8 countries if I've counted correctly (and hopefully I'll get to one more zoo this year whilst I'm in the UK for Christmas).

Disappointments; RSCC closing as has already been said, and the death of further Northern White Rhinos. Coincidentally, I managed to see the last Northern White in Europe a few months before she died and I visited RSCC a few months before it closed...

(As for your second question about favourite zoo news, there have been a few cool births and new developments but I can't really think of one thing that stands out. I may have forgotten something of course.)

And although it's not exactly zoo-related, my trip to Tanzania in February was another highlight.


If everything goes to plan, 2016 should be even more exciting for me

 

1. Visiting Highland Wildlife Park, my first ever visit and probably my favourite zoo I've visited.

2. Probably twin Aye-ayes at Bristol Zoo.

3. Failing to see Kirk's Dik-dik at Edinburgh, Twycross and Chester Zoo.

 

1. Bronx Zoo visit in November this year. So few people than I would have expected despite the relatively warm weather.

2. Islands At Chester Zoo finally opening. Any Tasmanian Devils arriving to the U.S. Possibly new import of African Elephants.

3. Further deletion of Species at Edinburgh. Deaths of Northern White Rhinos. Anything Seaworld, EEHV, or closure of a collection related.

 

1- Visited La Habana, Cuba and went to Acuario Nacional, zoologico de Habana, and Zoologico Nacional. Then just last month went to Argentina, return to the Buenos Aires zoo again and saw that Sandra the orangutan with habeas corpus is doing quite well. Then to Mendoza to see the zoologico de Mendoza, acuario mendoza and serpentario Mendoza too. Visited most of my favorite mexican zoos as well. 2015 was a very good year for me.
2.- It was great to visit the Habana zoos and see that the animals from Nambia were doing great and breeding in Cuba. I can only hope the embargo with the US finally ends and some of these animals will also enrich northern zoos.
3.- Lament the death of Nola.

 

1. Personal Zoo Highlight

Fulfilling a long-held dream to visit Singapore Zoo.

2. Favourite Piece of News

Dublin announced major improvements to their orangutan habitat.

3. Biggest Disappointment

Having to leave Singapore Zoo after seeing less than half of it because of the rain.

This means that 2016 will have to include return visits to Singapore in the 'dry season' and Dublin when the enclosure's finished.

(PS Does anyone have personal experience of when Singapore is dryish - my research is providing conflicting reports.)

 

1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT: I embarked on one of my long summer road trips and I toured 81 zoos in 24 days. There were many small, privately-run facilities but my highlight was the behind-the-scenes tour that I received from Jason Jacobs, director of Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona. I was able to venture inside the state-of-the-art elephant barn and touch an elephant for the first time in many years.

2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS: Several mega-budget U.S. zoo exhibits got the green light. A trio of complexes all costing approximately $70 million will open to the public in the next couple of years. Omaha's African Grasslands, San Diego Zoo's Africa Rocks and Oakland Zoo's California Trail.

3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Seeing elephants depart from Woodland Park Zoo, even though I supported the decision. It is just a pity that the zoo did not have a spare $40 million to build a world-class elephant habitat but in the end it made logical sense for the pachyderms to leave for Oklahoma City Zoo.

 

1. 2 day-visit to Prague Zoo ! What a collection !
2. Actualy every birth-news of zoo-animals all over the world esp. the rarer ones.
3. Strange enough also the Prague Zoo visit. Quite a lot of my "target" species were not visiable althrough it was not realy cold ( about 12 degrees Celcius ). Species not seen were for example Brown hyenas, Philippine scop owl, Black-eared catbird, Blue iguana - althrough I did see a small piece of it ( 4 cm. of tailtip ) - and several species of Imperial pigeons and Laughing thrushes. Possitive thing about this, I have to return in the near future !

 

1) My highlight was seeing for Polar Bears for the first time at the Arctic Ring in Copenhagen. The view from the tunnel and across the moat was extraordinary. I hope to make a visit to YWP next summer to see them in a very different style of enclosure.

2) My favourite piece of zoo news is actually very recent. 'Spectacled Bears are coming to Port Lympne'. The Aspinall parks seem to invoke a certain strength of passion, leading to more praise and criticism than most zoos receive (and often both come in the same breath). Although there will no doubt be questions about the suggested mix of species, few will complain at the arrival of a large flagship species.

3) It's not an issue I fully understand, but the continuing deaths of young asian elephants in the UK due to EEHV is both emotionally and strategically distressing. I don't know how long Chester and Whipsnade can sustain these rates of losses.

I will add a cheeky extra category: The thing I am looking forward to most in 2016 is my visit to Singapore.

 

1.Bornean Earless Monitors at Budapest,a species I never thought i would see alive.
2.Chester`s "Islands"..taking the UK into the realms of mega-exhibits of the type most frequently seen in the United States.
3. Sadly there are quite a few...but on reflection RSCC closing was the worst,for all the worth of EAZA,BIAZA and other organisations taking the zoo community forward, it was nice to see a place that bucked established trends.Just a pity that the general public dont really want cuscuses and Fanalokas.

 

1 My highlight has been watching the progress of Islands at Chester. Granted that the launch went off at half-cock, watching it develop has been really interesting and I now realise how unrealistic it was to hope that it could all have happened in one go.
2 Best news was that my favourite gorilla 'Matadi' has the chance to lead his own family and pass his unique genes onward.
3 Biggest disappointment was the degradation of Edinburgh's collection, typified by the closure of the cat terrace. I fear it's a consequence of pandamonium (or should it be pandominion?)

Alan

 

I've visited several times both during dry and wet seasons. Sure, the dry season is drier, but a better description would be the "less wet" season (compare London & Singapore). In case you get rain, bring a rain poncho the next time (normal rainwear is too warm). I always do when visiting such regions. I know many think you end up looking like an idiot in a rain poncho. But a dry idiot