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YOUR 2017

Discussion in 'ZooChat Community & Website' started by kiang, 16 Dec 2017.

  1. kiang

    kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Aug 2007
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    6,063
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    Argyllshire
    3 LITTLE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON YOUR 2017

    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT

    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS

    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
     
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  2. sooty mangabey

    sooty mangabey Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    29 Apr 2008
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    1,939
    Location:
    Sussex by the Sea
    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT
    Without a doubt, visiting San Diego for the first time. I’d been holding off going, thinking always that the zoo and Wild Animal Park could only disappoint. They didn’t - and now I can’t wait to go back, as soon as possible.

    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS
    In the UK, the development of Wild Place is one bright spark. But it’s overseas, really, where the good news comes. How about the arrival of Hammerhead Bats at Wroclaw? Not because it’s so earth shattering in itself, but more because it signifies a sustained interest in maintaining unusual species.

    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    At risk of sounding very negative, most UK zoos. With a few exceptions, shrinking collections, PR-led presentation, and infantile attitudes lead to places I have less and less interest in seeing. Overall winner: Marwell.
     
  3. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    10 Dec 2012
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    17,723
    Location:
    fijnaart, the netherlands
    1. Revisiting 2 zoos in the Netherlands after a break of almost 30 years. Don't know why I didn't manage to visit them for such a long time because already for 30 years they belonged to the Dutch middle-class but for some reason I prefered to visit otherzoos.
    This year however I went and was very surprized ! At Amersfoort I didn't recognize a single enclosure and at Ouwehands I had only one or two time that I thought "oh yes this looks like something I've seen before ! Was suprized by the high standards at both zoos and the nice collections at both zoos ( for example the nice Asian elephant-herd at Amersfoort and the Tarsier at Ouwehand ).
    After these 2 revisits I was sure it would't take another 30 years to visit again and for Ouwehands this is already become true - I did visit it a second time this year already and from now on I guess I will visit them every year.
    2. A very difficult one because so much good zoo-news became known this year ( new species coming to zoos, breeding-results, new enclosures opened ). I myself found the opening of the new Mangrove-hall at Burgers - Arnhem one of the highlights of the year. Shortly after the opening korhoen, ShonenJack13 and I visited it and were all impressed by this new eco-display and althrough it still has to mature a little the animals all looked exelent in their new habitat !
    3. Also a very difficult one because so much went wrong world-wide nature-wise :( !
    My personal biggest disappointment I already discribed in another thread ( see Vogelcommandos anniversary ). Missing 2 times a Humpback whale in the Netherlands ( one time missed it on 200 meters, the other time for about 8 hours ) is of course a big disappointment.
    On the world-wide scale I was very disappointed about the not succesfull attemps the start a breeding-programm for the Vaquita but hopefully a second attemp in the future ( when still possible then.... :( ) will be more succesfull.
     
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  4. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    5 Mar 2017
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    2,303
    Location:
    Wales
    1. Personal Zoo Visit Highlight
    Visiting Whipsnade for the first time was amazing! All the enclosures were very big and nice to look at and I'm so glad I got in for free :p It allowed me to see both species of hippo for the first time as well as 2 more species of penguin which are my favourite animal. (This year I have added 3 new species to my list after previously only seeing Humboldt!). Also I got to see the last ever elephant walk which was amazing.
    2. Favourite piece of zoo news
    This one is a tie. Chester finally breeding African painted dogs was amazing news and extremely recent but also Chester going back into marsupials with the arrival of the dusky pademelons and tree kangaroos was awesome news.
    3. Biggest Disappointment
    This year was pretty positive zoo-wise for me. The only things I can think of is not getting around all of Whipsnade and missing many of the asian species including sloth bears which are the only ones in the UK! Also I completley forgot about the cuscus at Blackpool!
     
  5. Charlie Simmomds

    Charlie Simmomds Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    6 Nov 2016
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    917
    Location:
    Birmingham
    1) Chester zoo. A lovely visit in which I saw so much that I had not a the zoo before. The new islands stuff was amazing! It was brilliant seeing the new baby Andean bear, my first viewing of Dik-dik, prevost squirrel, sun bear and many others including the Javan green magpie.
    2) best zoo news is like Matt a tie between the world first breeding of bermuda skink and Montsey brook salamanders at Chester zoo.
    3) biggest dissapointment is really some of the animals I have missed seeing, just missed seeing pademelon at Chester, didn't get to see baby tombol (orang), bliss the anteater in her new enclosure and the mouse deer, all of these occurred at Chester.
     
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  6. kiang

    kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Aug 2007
    Posts:
    6,063
    Location:
    Argyllshire
    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT
    Visiting Zoo Berlin for the first time and totally living up to my anticipated expectations

    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS
    A few here
    Positive black rhino births and pregnancies across Europe.
    Horned screamers hatched at Walsrode.
    Expansion at YWP
    Black lion tamarin import at Jersey
    Indian gharial hatched at Protivin and
    False gharial hatched at COTW.


    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    Edinburgh zoo again!
    White rhino killed by poachers at Thoiry, a sickening new low.
     
  7. Kakapo

    Kakapo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Zaragoza, Spain
    What a casuality, just this same morning replied to the 2016 thread and now I find the current year one in the "new posts" (and the first one) :)
    1. This year I made a tour to Western Westfalia zoos (Duisburg, Köln and Wuppertal), and although the objetives are the animals, probably the highligh is the company of a friend that works in Duisburg zoo and stayed with me during the visit.
    2. I'm really not into news. I can't remember nothing exceptional. The last, very recent "good thing" that I remember is that there are more Ribbon seals in the world zoos appart from the Sochi one, but I'm not sure if they arrived in 2017 or nor. I think that yes.
    3. Seeing that a lot of the unique species that Zootierliste holds for Köln zoo are behind the scenes, particularly the amphibians. So I've missed them.
     
  8. Mehdi

    Mehdi Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    5 May 2016
    Posts:
    545
    Location:
    Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT
    Re-visiting Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin with a refreshed view on zoos. Loved both of them and Tierpark is so far my favourite zoo from the ones I've revisited (I'll admit there's not a plethora of them!). I saw many highlight species such as Bawean deer or even the highly-praised Trumpet manucode and all-in-all had a very nice 2 weeks holiday in Europe.

    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS

    Seeing Knieriem is actually making some great choices for both Berlin Zoos! I had doubts about him but I'm now sure he can direct these two mighty zoos in my opinion. Also every piece of great news from Magdeburg, that's a fantastic zoo and I hope to visit it one day. Some really nice species being held more commonly in Europe too such as Dusky pademelon.

    I'm sure there are a lot more that I'm forgetting but those are the ones I can think of as of now.

    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    Apart from missing quite some species in Tierpark (which isn't that frustrating now that I re-think of it), there's the death of the last Checkered elephant shrew at Plzen (that might have been 2016, I don't know for sure), the white rhino killed at Thoiry etc...

    Obviously, there are other disappointing stuff but those are the ones I can remember of. In general, it has been a pretty good year (at least from me) and I hope it will be the same in 2018! :)
     
  9. Giant Panda

    Giant Panda Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    24 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    798
    Location:
    UK
    1. Personal Zoo Visit Highlight: Leadbeater's possums at Healesville. I fell in love with this species when I read Two in the Bush as a kid, so finally watching a pair bound through the gloom was magical. Honourable mentions to my first platypus, numbat, dugong, golden snub-nosed monkey, and kiwi (my zoo-going unicorn). Anything Antipodean, really. Visit-wise, Tierpark Berlin was beautiful as always, seeing Taronga's chimp exhibit fulfilled a lifetime ambition, my tour of Welt der Gifte was fantastic (thanks again @Batto), and an apple pie and a beer on a sunny day in Maria Theresia's Pavilion at Schönbrunn remains one of life's great pleasures.

    2. Favourite Piece of Zoo News: Dubai Safari Park finally opening (just about). In another thread, I called this the most significant new zoo since Georgia Aquarium in 2005. The first ZooChatter to post a review and photos will win my indefatigable gratitude.

    3. Biggest Disappointment: Opposite to @sooty mangabey, my planned trip to Southern California had to be postponed. I'll get there eventually. Other frustrations were the off-show long-beaked echidna at Taronga and missing Singapore's "reliable" colugos... again.

    Finally, thank you to all the ZooChatters who made 2017 great, particularly those I met in situ. It was my pleasure.
     
  10. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22 Sep 2014
    Posts:
    2,156
    Location:
    Wicksteed is not a zoo
    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT
    I really wanted to see any bear cubs this year, so the birth of Madidi at Chester could have resulted in my highlight, were it not for the distance visitors initially had to view her from. My visit to CERZA and having such close, unobstructed views of their Spectacled Bear cub was therefor probably my overall highlight; the enjoyment was enhanced by having so few other visitors clambering around me at the time and my not understanding a word they were saying :D I also managed to see young Asian Black bears and young Giant Pandas, as well as a variety of other species for the first time across several countries. Apart from a couple of damper days, each day at a European mainland zoo was a highlight.


    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS
    On a bear cub theme, the birth of Panda and Polar bear cubs at Beauval and Gelsenkirchen respectively gives me more reason to return to them next spring/summer.
    YWP expansion is definitely something to be excited about.

    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    Barcelona. Poor planning on my part, but not helped by downpours and power cuts.
     
  11. bongorob

    bongorob Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    18 May 2007
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    6,309
    Location:
    Stoke-on-Trent England
    1. Personal Zoo Visit Highlight: My first ever visit to Higland Wildlife Park,and the enjoyable company of Agile Gibbon, Javan Rhino and Zoogiraffe. I was very impressed with the place. On the downside Nisha was unable to be with us.

    2. Favourite Piece of Zoo News:
    The import and subsequent breeding of Montseny Brook Salamander at Chester Zoo

    3. Biggest Disappointment: Not visiting any foreign zoos.
     
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  12. TheGerenuk

    TheGerenuk Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    8 Sep 2017
    Posts:
    2,870
    Location:
    Brampton, Ontario, Canada
    1. Personal Zoo Visit Highlight: First ever visit to Europe, and with it, first-ever visits to Antwerp, Pairi Daiza, Koln, Apenheul, and Artis.

    2. Favourite Piece of Zoo News: The Toronto Zoo's breeding success with cats (specifically clouded leopards, snow leopards and cheetahs).

    3. Biggest Disappointment: Not visiting Berlin Zoo, Tierpark Berlin and Walsrode on my European trip.
     
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  13. BeakerUK

    BeakerUK Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Oct 2017
    Posts:
    421
    Location:
    UK
    This is probably small fry compared to others.

    1. Personal zoo highlight:
    Finally seeing a Rusty-spotted cat during a visit to Hamerton at Easter. You may laugh, but every time I have tried to see one, they have resolutely refused to show themselves. Finally, finally I saw one skulking around at Hamerton.

    2. Favourite piece of zoo news:
    I probably have to say the planning application for a tiger enclosure at Twycross. Twycross is not my favourite zoo, but it is the closest one I am a member of so can visit regularly. And I am afraid I never get bored of tigers.

    3. Biggest disappointment:
    Not seeing the snow leopard cubs at Twycross despite several attempts. Not seeing the Dusky padmelons at Chester when I visited in October (oh dear I will have to go back soon, what a shame...)
     
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  14. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    10 Nov 2015
    Posts:
    2,742
    Location:
    USA
    1. Personal Zoo Visit Highlight
    This year was a really good year for me! I saw so many new and rare species: tiger shark, Sanford’s lemur, maleo, Kihansi spray toad, parakeet auklet, harlequin poison frog, Peruvian pigeon, African wildcat, Tinian monarch, and Sulawesi bear cuscus just to name some! I also had visits to some big name zoos I hadn’t been to, particularly Bronx and North Carolina, as well as some which I hadn’t visited in a while, such as Nashville, Saint Louis, and Memphis. I think the best was a day spent working at Bronx. There’s nothing like a day spent throwing peanuts to maleos and cleaning bird of paradise enclosures!

    Runner-up: Favorite Wild Animal Experience
    Had to include this. While snorkeling near Key Largo, I got within just a few feet of a hawksbill turtle! It was really a fantastic experience with my favorite species. Later that day I saw a loggerhead, which was my fourth species wild.

    2. Favorite Piece of Zoo News
    Oh, this is a tough one! I think the piece that I enjoyed the most was the opening of San Diego Zoo’s Africa Rocks. It looks fantastic!

    3. Biggest Disappointment
    Taking a page out of @Giant Panda’s book here, but I also unfortunately was not able to make it to southern California. However, I am now able to make it to another good zoo region, later this month, so that has the potential to change 1... or 3.
     
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  15. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    27 May 2011
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    3,704
    Location:
    Birmingham, UK
    1. The IZES spring meet up at Ventura. This was preceded by a visit to Waddesdon, where I and another ZooChatter were allowed to not only see the Bornean peacock-pheasants off-show but were also allowed in to the enclosure with them. After was Ventura which was thoroughly decent and had some very nice mammal species on display.

    2. Best piece of news is the fact that there are now tree-kangaroos at 3 relatively easy to reach collections, with at least two of them planning to put them on-show. Oh yeah, dusky pademelons are pretty cool as well!

    3. Biggest let down has to be Twycross going out of elephants rather than building bull facilities. I understand the financial reasoning but it was a bit of a shock.
     
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  16. Zia

    Zia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    30 Apr 2010
    Posts:
    752
    Location:
    UK
    Personal zoo visit highlight: making it back to YWP and spending AGES watching the bears. Instead of driving for 4+ hours we went on the train from London there and back in a day and it was a triumph of a trip :)

    Best piece of news: Bears. Baby Andean bear at Chester, the new sun bear accomodation at Chester, the three new brown bears at Whipsnade and the suprise arrival of moon bears at Wingham.

    Biggest Disapointment: Not seeing the snow leopard cubs at twycross. On a more serious note - disappointment is not the right word but the death of the keeper at Hamerton this year was obviously shocking and very sad.
     
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  17. Mr. Zootycoon

    Mr. Zootycoon Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Jun 2015
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    1,193
    Location:
    probably in a zoo
    1. The Nordhorn-Berlin-Magdeburg trip this summer. I've never seen so many animals species in such a short timespan. Berlin Zoo had an amazing collection of great species in (mostly) nice habitats, the aquarium was simply great and the Tierpark was lovely. Magdeburg and Nordhorn were nice add-ons.

    2. In terms of exhibits probably the new Mangrove in Arnhem. In terms in births the succesfull breeding of horned screemers and various birds-of-paradise in Walsrode.

    3. The gulls in Dierenpark Zie-Zoo. Someone shot half the zoo's gulls from outside, among them the majority of the breeding colony of lesser black-backed gulls, dooming the only succesfull breeding colony in any European zoo.
     
  18. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Sep 2013
    Posts:
    3,459
    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT
    Driving through Parc zoologique de Paris in a new, fully equipped VW T6 with a bunch of critters in the back.

    2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS
    Announcing the opening of "Welt der Gifte'.^^

    3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    Not making it to Chester Zoo due a delayed flight.
     
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  19. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    [​IMG]
     
  20. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

    Joined:
    1 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    7,583
    Location:
    Abbotsford, B.C., Canada
    1- Personal Zoo Visit Highlight: My big California zoo journey, chronicled on the thread 'Snowleopard's 2017 Road Trip' was a delight. I have now visited 62 of the 70 zoos in the state and I had behind-the scenes tours at Los Angeles Zoo and Fresno Chaffee Zoo...plus I met some fantastic people (including my good friend @Arizona Docent) and the San Diego parks are still terrific zoological destinations. My all-time zoo total in the USA stands at 325.

    2- Favourite Piece of Zoo News: I have relatives in Calgary, Alberta, and my wife, 4 kids and I have taken several trips to the Calgary Zoo over the years. If we end up going again in the summer of 2018 then we'll be lining up to view 4 Giant Pandas (1.1.2) and that should be enjoyable.

    3- Biggest Disappointment:
    San Diego Zoo did not have its $70 million Africa Rocks complex open when I spent two days at the facility in the summer. Time for another trip one day!
     
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