I won't be arriving until later Friday but shall also be occupying Zoo Nerd Towers (aka the Piast - I also stayed there last year, it's a nice hotel!).
If anyone attending the meeting would like a copy of Isobel Charman's excellent slightly fictionalised account of London Zoo's early years, The Zoo, let me know via pm - I have a spare, but will only take it if someone needs it. I'll be staying at the Ibis Hotel, arriving Thursday evening, ready for a full day at the zoo on Friday. I look forward to seeing lots of fellow nerds then!
So, Zoohistorica 2017 has been and gone. An excellent weekend, very well hosted by Wroclaw Zoo, and organised by the inestimable Leszek Solski. A number of regular and irregular visitors to this forum were in attendance, amongst about 50 or so in total. Poland was, as ever, a fantastic country to visit (inexpensive, cheerful, with striking cities and great zoos); Wroclaw Zoo itself was looking fantastic. Personal highlights were the reptile collection, seeing the flying squirrels (at nighttime) and the newly-enlarged group of manatees. The decline in the publishing of zoo guides means that the exchange fair is less intense than was once the case, but nonetheless there was brisk trade in books, annual reports, and those guides that are available. On Sunday, there were a number of different destinations for the attendees. I was amongst the many who went to Opole Zoo: my first visit, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Next year: Antwerp. Looking forward to it!
I agree with "Sooty" here; it was an excellent event, very well organised by Leszek. Many thanks to Leszek and everyone else at the zoo who made it such an enjoyable weekend. Wroclaw Zoo's vast reptile collection is extremely impressive but my personal favourite exhibits were the manatees (with the two recently arrived females), the hartebeest and, in particular, the bear cuscus, the latter being a species I'd never seen before. Being taken "behind the scenes" in the old Elephant House by an enthusiastic keeper, with a great knowlege of the building's history and its former inhabitants, was also especially interesting for me and one of my personal highlights of the event. (Incidentally, Wroclaw University's Natural History Museum was also excellent and well worth a visit.)
I can only echo the two previous posts. Good country, nice city, excellent zoo. Leszek and "the zoo" did a great job organising and hosting for which I'm most grateful and appreciative. It was also great to see and mix with all the attendees, both UK and continental. The zoo itself is a great mix of new/innovative and interesting historic and the animal collection must be up there with the very best in Europe. The Reptile House collection is insanely big but wonderfully so -though I would recommend not trying to do it all in one go (as I pretty much did -mind blowing). A two-day, many camera-batteries, zoo well worthy of a visit by all who are able (I'll definitely be back).
