On my visit in July last year, the Egyptian fruit bats were freeroaming in the African walkthrough area of the same house.
The pandas will be on display after the 6th of July. I'll post an extensive review in this thread when I visited it a week or so after the opening. I just hope I can see something of the animals behind the backs of many visitors. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in Rhenen, so I've still got some hope to see most of the Berlin Zoo...
While Berlin Zoo is certainly busier than Tierpark I didn't find it overcrowded. Yes there are busier spots in the zoo but usually can find a few quiet places to sit.
Somebody knows if there is a scheduled feeding time for Vampire Bats and Tuatara at the zoo? Also, is any Sea Snake on show? I didn´t see any on my visit in October, or sign, but according with Zootierliste they still keep three species.
The Panda area is finished, inhabited and quite impressive. It looks a little manicured atm though, I hope it wilds up in the fullness of time. There is a sign explaining that the female walks backwards, that this is not a sign of poor mental health and that the zoo is work with Chinese experts to understand why. Apparently she did this in China too. Contrary to reports there are no other species in the exhibit complex, however there is an uninhabited deer enclosure immediately adjacent that I imagine they will put Pere David's in. Other news (or at least new since 2015): Almost the entire bird of prey area is being reconstructed. Probably a combination of new exhibits and knocking through/expanding old ones. The demise of the Carnivore House is much exaggerated. From memory: lion, Persian leopard, jaguar, ocelot, Jaguarundi, sand cat, rusty spotted cat, dwarf mongoose, Vontsira, boky boky, tayra, meerkat, giant anteater and great grey owl are all on display. Notable absences were Javan leopard and of course tiger. Has the Northern fur seal gone? No signage but it's still listed on ZTL. The new Kiwi exhibit is great, although very dark. But seeing them at all is awesome!
Did you take picture of the panda area? it was only half finished when I was there. I loved the carnivore house and didn't realised it much more in years gone by.
That's very sad; he was born at Whipsnade in 1986 and spent some years at Chester Zoo before going to Berlin.
Andean flamingo hatched ! : SCHLUPF bei den "GELBFÜSSLERN" - ANDENFLAMINGOKÜKEN im ZOO BERLIN! Mehr oder weniger unbeachtet von den Zoobesuchern gab es wohl am vergangenen Wochenende einen Schlupf bei den seltenen Andenflamingos im Zoo Berlin: nach jahrelanger Pause, vermutlich bedingt auch durch bauliche Veränderungen an der Voliere, endlich wieder einen Schlupf bei den Andenflamingos (Phoenicoparrus andinus)! Die kleine Kolonie hat sich erst kürzlich um weitere sieben adulte Tiere vergrößert, ein großer Glücksfall für diese Flamingoart, die zu den absoluten Raritäten in den europäischen Zoos gehört. Lediglich zwei Haltungen sind bekannt, eben die im Berliner Zoo und eine weitere Haltung in England. Als einzige Flamingoart zählen sie zu den gefährdeten Arten und sind im westlichen und südlichen Südamerika beheimatet. Bevorzugt leben sie an Salzwassergewässern und Sümpfen der Andenregion. Es ist nicht mehr zu wünschen, als das sich die kleine, mittlerweile 15 Vögel umfassende Kolonie in den kommenden Jahren gut reproduziert und stabilisiert. Dasselbe gilt für die im gleichen Gehege befindlichen James-Flamingos, deren aktueller Bestand 10 Vögel umfasst. Eiablage und Brutversuche in diesem Jahr sind bei den James-Flamingos bislang leider gescheitert.
I've had a really wonderful visit at Zoo Berlin today with very little no-show (Cururo, Maguari stork, and unfortunately Tuatara being some of the examples). What a great day, indeed! The bird of prey area was still under construction with as far as I know only the exhibit bird of prey exhibit in the surroundings visible being the King vulture/Crested caracara aviary. Weirdly (as CGSwans could access it a few days ago; if I remember correctly), I couldn't access the Suid House; fortunately though one of the (?) Bornean bearded pigs (one of my favourite species of suid) was alive , outdoor and active for a good amount of time. I don't know for how much though, and I fear it's the last time I see them in Europe... By the way, does anyone know if the sole fruitcrow kept at the Faisanerie is still alive? It was signed on any aviary as far as I have seen and I have myself not seen it. Also does anyone know if there are still Australian and South-American aviaries inside the bird-house and where? I couldn't find them anywhere on the World of Birds map and I didn't seem to find them in person either; some of the species supposed to be kept there such as the Channel-billed cuckoo were kept at the Faisanerie.
A few observations from a two-day visit in June: I didn't see the fruitcrow either, and there were no obvious hiding places in the aviary. The swine house was closed on both days, but I've been in the building several times: there doesn't seem to be any fixed pattern to which days it's open or closed. The Australian walk-through in the bird house disappeared during the recent refurb: it is now part of the African section. There was never a South American walk-through. I'm not too surprised to hear that you didn't see the Tuatara - this was my sixth visit (at least two days each time) and I've never seen one!
Ah thanks! A shame about the fruitcrow, considering there is/was only one individual I'm afraid it could be off-show (hopefully) or dead The tuatara exhibit is honestly great but considering it is quite huge for such a small species (not necessarily a critisicm, by the way) + the numerous hiding spots they have, I too am not surprised to have missed them. A really unique species, though.
I also didn't any of the sea-snakes, though I admit having passed quickly through the ''marine'' part of the aquarium (fish, invertebrates and I guess the snakes are/were kept there?) because I nearly ran out of battery?
