The three lion cubs are a male and two females and have been named Xesar, Xira and Xabi. Zoo Antwerpen Facebook post The three cubs have now also started going outdoors in the big lion exhibit, where I saw them last Saturday.
Oooh, that's good news! I'll finally be coming back to Belgium in April, so will get to see them then.
Zoo Antwerpen's 41 American flamingos have been temporarily moved to Planckendael, where they have joined Planckendael's 75 Chilean flamingos (and a small group of lessers) in the South American aviary. The move is necessary because the space of the indoor flamingo exhibit is needed to house Antwerp's African penguins while their exhibit is being renovated. The penguins will be getting new nesting boxes spaced further apart, the exhibit will be get a new layer of sand, new plantings and a new protective layer on the surface of the pool. Zoo Antwerpen is considering how they can permanently net their entire flamingo exhibit, given the periods of avian influenza control measures are getting longer and longer, and given that the current indoor and netted space are small. Antwerpse flamingo’s overwinteren in Mechelen I was at Planckendael last week and saw the American flamingos already in with the Chilean - it is quite impressive to see all those flamingos together. That said, the two species did seem to largely be keeping to their own kind.
Might I ask how many common hippos the zoo currently holds (sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this)?
Antwerp's last two takins, mother and daughter, have moved to the Wuppertal Zoo in Germany. If I remember correctly it was previously mentioned Barbary sheep would replace the takins, although personally I would prefer the return of the Himalayan thars at Antwerp, or perhaps markhors. Laafsekikkers Facebook post with Zoo Bilder/News link
Indeed. A few years ago, there were rumours that Antwerp and Blijdorp were planning to import genetically pure Barbary sheep from Northern Africa with the aims of starting a breeding programme. Antwerp had already publically announced the sheep to come and replace the takins and thars, but it apparently fell through. I don't know whether they still want to do it as some years have gone by since, but I do think that a nice breeding herd of any caprid would make a worthy replacement.
Recently Antwerp has received 1.0 crested oropendola from Rotterdam, presumably to be partnered with Antwerps 0.1. Considering the absolutely deplorable state of oropendolas in captivity, offspring would be veeery welcome.
According to a Facebook post by Zoos around the World Zoo Antwerpen now has Guatemalan emerald spiny lizard (Sceloporus taeniocnemis). Zoos around the World Facebook post
A spider monkey is born on 6/1/23. In the nursery of the reptile builing also three young chuckwalla's are shown.