It's that time of year again folks, time to reflect on the year past, so here we go...... 3 LITTLE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON YOUR 2019 1. PERSONAL ZOO VISIT HIGHLIGHT 2. FAVOURITE PIECE OF ZOO NEWS 3. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
1. It’s a combination of all my local zoo visits for 2019 and seeing a solid range of new species for my personal list. These are the current numbers for 2019, and while it may not look very significant to some, I personally feel accomplished (12 mammals, 52 birds, 11 reptiles, 2 amphibians and 200+ fish). Personal highlights include Black-footed Rock Wallaby at Australia Zoo, Short-eared Brushtail Possum and Black-footed Tree Rat at David Fleay Wildlife Park, Maned Wolf at Wildlife HQ, Malleefowl at Dreamworld, Green Rosella and Red-capped Parrot at Maleny Bird World and the Bull Shark at Sea World Gold Coast. Special mention must also go to seeing my first Golden Brushtail Possum at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. 2. Two pieces of news come to mind. Sumatran Elephant at Australia Zoo and Sri Lankan Leopard finally arriving in Australia. 3. The continual loss of many exotic mammal species in Australasian zoos. Notable departures for 2019 include DeBrazza’s Guenon and White-fronted Lemur.
1. An obvious highlight would be visiting the five larger Singapore collections, which across them have incredible diversity in animals, styles, but unfortunately also in enclosure quality. The real unexpected highlight was however the native species area in Auckland Zoo. I have never before seen such a lovely done area focusing solely on native species. It has everything from appropriate cultural theming, to lovely designed enclosures and a great species line-up. Non-zoo highlight was a two day stay in Samburu Reserve in Kenya, which has a great diversity of visible East-African dryland wildlife, as well as spending two months in New Zealand. 2. Generally speaking: the arrival of two Platypuses in San Diego. On a personal level it would be the birth of 3 Sun bear cubs + a Manatee calf in Burgers' Zoo. 3. Panay cloud rats remain nemesis species number one....
1 Photographing the Lear's macaws at Pairi Daiza (and grabbing one or two shots of the Spix's next door). 2 I have heard some news that has to remain confidential. Sorry! 3 There were two sad events at Regent's Park and I really can't decide which was worse - the death of Kumbuka, the silverback gorilla, or the closure of the Aquarium.
1. Personal highlight was Hamerton, stunning collection and some well designed enclosures, and great company to boot. As I've said in a previous thread species highlights are far too many to mention, but special mention goes to both species of quolls, African civets, and golden jackals. 2. Sea otters coming to Birmingham has to be the best piece of (public) news, but (like Alan) I've also had some pretty juicy news that has to remain confidential for now. 3. Biggest disappointment was getting excited for the afore-mentioned sea otter exhibit, only for it to play home to two seals for the majority of the year.
1. I visited a lot of great zoos for the first time this year, I don't think I can pick one. The highlights were Columbus, The Wilds, Toledo, Detroit, and Binder Park. 2. Platypus coming to San Diego was great, but what got me more exited was a piece of local zoo news - Wildwood Zoo getting Mountain Goats. 3. Missing two very rare salamander species - Conant's Mushroom-tongue Salamander at Toledo and Stout Salamander at Detroit.
1. Seeing the Philippine Eagles and Lear's Macaws at Jurong. 2. Maybe the Platypus arriving at San Diego; maybe the Sea Otters at Birmingham. 3. Not seeing the Spix's Macaws at Jurong...
1. Either seeing my first Iberian Lynxes in January (Zoo Madrid), my first Lear's and Spix's Macaws in July (Pairi Daiza), or my first African Palm Civets in September (Poznan Nowe) 2. The Sun Bear births at Burgers Zoo 3. Visiting Zoo Wroclaw and discovering the last Hartebeest in Europe had been taken offshow for medical reasons that morning
1. Either handling woolly opossum and tamandua at best or handling an African palm civet at tierpark Donnersberg. 2. Platypus arriving at San Diego. 3. Probably Inca the black bear passing away at Dudley zoo.
1) I had quite a few, this was a pretty good zoo-year for me. The biggest highlight was visiting 4 zoos in the Dallas area in November, seeing some great zoos and amazing species like Tuatara. Going to Philadelphia and seeing the zoo and Adventure Aquarium for the first time was great as well. Closer to home, visiting the Buffalo zoo for the first time. 2) Platypus arriving at the San Diego Safari Park is the obvious great piece of news. Also, Sydney Zoo opening (I think?) and Bronx getting Dholes. 3) Missing out on Yapok and Torrent Ducks at Dallas World Aquarium. The ducks had their exhibit under construction (although going by the signs the exhibit should've been open...) but I just plain missed the Yapok.
1. I had opportunity to travel more this year and to visit some really nice collections. The Pangolin in Leipzig, Cape Fox in Plzen, Hartebeest in Wroclaw and Aye - aye in Chester were very nice experiences, but the Grandidier's Vontsira in Magdeburg was probably my greatest zoo moment in 2019. 2. It's hard to beat the Platypus news. 3. Missing the Sifaka in Paris, cos my kids wanted to watch the baby Giraffe most of the time.
1) Probably a tie between finally getting to see the Whale Sharks and manta rays at Georgia Aquarium and visiting Omaha for the first time. Smaller highlights will include being surprised at just how good Riverbanks, Nashville, and Sedgwick County Zoo are and discovering on arrival that Oklahoma put an Arakan Forest Turtle on display. 2) Probably something private, but Dholes arrival at Bronx was really great as they're a species I've always wanted to see come to the zoo! SZDSP's success in cloning Southern White Rhinos as a step towards saving the Northern White Rhino is also incredible. 3) Probably also something private, but non-zoo-wise I wasn't a big fan of trying to spot wild prairie-chickens and ending up getting my rental car sunk in the mud for several hours.. ~Thylo
1. Visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium 2. Platypus in San Diego 3. Probably not getting through the wholes of the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park. It could also be the San Diego Zoo not meeting the expectations that I'd had for it. Don't get me wrong, it's a great zoo, just not what I expected it to be.
1. Finally getting to see two institutions that I've wanted to see for years (Omaha Zoo and Dallas World Aquarium) and a species at DWA I've wanted to see for years (Shoebill). 2. Both earlier in the year, learning that Saint Louis Zoo got their $20 million a year sales tax passed by voters and that they will adding new outdoor habitats for the Primate House. 3. Not being able to finish the Omaha Zoo I only had 3 hours and got to see the famous indoor trio (Lied Jungle, Kingdoms of the Night, Desert Dome) and the new Asian complex, but I missed out on seeing Madagascar, the orangutans, and much of African Grasslands. But bad birding builds character! For birding/mammaling, my personal highlight of 2019 was seeing wild California Condors twice (and having a group circle directly overhead!), while my personal disappointment is that my second Big Year is also the first year in my entire life failing to see a Virginia Opossum - a creature that I otherwise have never, ever wanted to see.
1. Without a doubt, visiting San Diego for the first time. I’d been been looking forward to visiting SD for a long time, but was a bit sceptical about it being overrated and all. It certainly wasn’t though, and definitely deserves the fame that it has; and I can’t wait to go back ASAP. 2. Sydney Zoo opening had to be a great piece of news; especially following all the discussion and anticipation! Though, Australia Zoo receiving Sumatran Elephants, and San Diego receiving Platypus were also great news from this year. 3. I’m not quite sure about this one, as compared to 2018, 2019 has been quite exciting in regards to zoo news. It was a big disappointment though, when I heard the news that London was closing their Aquarium.
1. Getting hired as an animal ambassador docent at Six Flags DK and as a Zoo Teen at the Sacramento Zoo (the first is an actual job, the second is just volunteerism), first trip to San Diego Zoo SP, and going on the Caravan Safari at said zoo. 2. Okapis arriving at Sacramento and platypuses arriving at San Diego Zoo SP. 3. Being a month too early to see said platypuses.
Somehow I forgot the biggest non-zoo highlight of the year: A wild Pangolin in Singapore... You know they will all mysteriously disappear the week before I would arrive and turn up in a zoo I have visited not long before....
