The elephant, giraffe, rhino & hippo area has been affected with the "ampliation" of the elephant enclosure (it's only temporary). The current elephant enclorure occupies part of the former rhino exhibit (that was a mixed exhibit with blesboks (now one of the rhinos is in the old blesbok area, and the blesboks are now in a small enclosure). The new elephant exhibit will be about 10000 m2 (the current is about 2000 m2, and before the ampliation, only 1000m2). Both dolphin pools are always open, there are not a "winter pool". Sometimes some dolphins are moved from one pool to another, basically when a dolphin is pregnant (the offsprings are always in the outdoor pool). There are not old dolphin facilities. The building that you have seen could be the school that it's located behind the spider monkey exhibit. The crocodilians not labelled are: spectacled caiman (first 2 photos) and yacaré caiman. They are not labelled because they are in a temporal enclosure while their old enclosures are under reconstruction (the closed part of the terrarium, where there are also a saltwater crocodile, a cuban crocodile and a morelet crocodile).
Many thanks for the info, all becomes clear!!! Very pleased to hear that the elephant, etc area is a temporary arrangement. Where will the new elephant enclosure be and what part of the current area has been reduced (ie where did it extend to before)? Thanks also for croc identification. Cheers Dean
It would be great if you could post pictures of the enlarged elephant enclosure, I have seen it a few years ago and it was one of the worst elephant yards I`ve ever seen. I`d like to know how it looks today. Thanks!
The elephant enclosure have been enlarged to hold one more elephant (2 in total). Before, 2 elephants were in the 1000m2 enclosure.... (one of the elephans died some months ago due intestinal problems) and the zoo merged the old enclosure with the rhino enclosure to allow the arrival of other elephant. The plan of the zoo is have a group of ¿5-6? elephants with the new enclosure (I don't know when will be build). This was the old elephant enclosure: http://www.zoochat.com/467/african-elephant-58404/ And the rhino/blesbok one: http://www.zoochat.com/467/barcelona-zoo-54085/ I don't have pictures of the enlarged enclosure because last time I visited the zoo was still closed. I will try to go this weekend to take some photos, but for now, I can post this photos of the remodelation process: http://www.zoochat.com/467/ampliation-elephant-enclosure-82277/ http://www.zoochat.com/467/ampliation-elephant-enclosure-82276/ Now the concrete floor has been replaced for sand. In the incoming years there will be many temporary enclosures due the full zoo remodelation. For example, now, the Komodo dragons, muntjacs, forest dwarf buffalos and many reptiles of the terrarium are in temporary enclosures waiting for its new exhibits.
Thanks a lot. Good to get the background on this development (and apologies for my misunderstanding of the word ampliation!). Here is pictures of the enlarged elephant enclosure.
The grizzled spider monkey's, black-faced impala's, dorcas gazelle, Iberian Ibex, Drill's, white-crowned mangabeys, Martin's white-nosed guenons, Talapoins, red-crowned mangabey's, golden headed quetzal and long-wattled umbrellabird weren't enough to shout about? You can say a lot about Barcelona Zoo, but not that it has not much to offer for the frequent zoo-visitor if you ask me...
Depends how many zoos you get to I guess, but yes take your point, these species are all an absolute treat to see and I was perhaps a little harsh in this regard.
Does anyone here have the "key statistics" on the Zoo de Barcelona? That is: (a) Number of Species (b) Number of Specimens (c) Size -- hectacres (d) Annual Attendance Thanks!!
Finally, the crocodiles can now be seen in its new terrariums. The new exhibits of the terrarium are for yacare (the info panel says spectacled caiman, but it's wrong), morelet' crocodile, Nile soft-shell turtle, Galapagos giant tortoise (not adults), Asian forest tortoise and saltwater crocodile. One pic of the saltwater crocodile in the new exhibit: http://www.zoochat.com/467/saltwater-crocodile-126389/
Asian forest tortoise as in Manouria emys? They now have Morelet's croc breeding pair? What happened to the Cuban crocs? Transferred to ....?
Yes. No. Only one on display (Currently there are only one registered at ISIS, but I saw two some time ago... by the way there always have been only one display). I don't know. It's a shame to lose this species. There's still two females registered at ISIS (there always have been one individual on display).
The zoo announced that is going to recieve giant anteaters "soon". Its former enclosure (which since last week was the house of the Komodo dragons) is now closed, so it's possible that they arrive soon, if there are not yet at the zoo (there's a net fence avoiding the entrance to indoor viewing area). The question is... somebody knows from what zoo they could be transferred? The collaboration project is with an Argentine zoo, and Artis Zoo is also involved.
Well, most of the zoos in Argentina have giant anteaters but, as far as I know, the only one that has a conservation project with the Artis Zoo is Florencio Varela Zoo (located in the province of Buenos Aires). Here is the new which says that Barcelona Zoo and Zodiac Zoo (in Netherlands) have joined the project: Proyecto Conservacion Oso Hormiguero Gigante - Argentina - (It is in Spanish)
Yes, those zoos are in the project, but that doesn't mean that the giant anteaters are going to be transferred from one of those zoos. And now good news. A gorilla has born last Sunday. Here you can find a video of the public presentation: Nace el primer gorila de España sin ayuda humana - Barcelona - Lavanguardia.es Tomorrow I will try to take some photos... if I success I'll post them here
As I promised, some photos of today: http://www.zoochat.com/467/baby-gorilla-zoo-barcelona-133133/ http://www.zoochat.com/467/baby-gorilla-zoo-barcelona-133134/ http://www.zoochat.com/467/baby-gorilla-zoo-barcelona-133135/ http://www.zoochat.com/467/baby-gorilla-zoo-barcelona-133132/ I heard that another gorilla (in the same exhibit) is going to give birth very soon.
"Terra de Dragons", the new exhibit for Komodo dragons has been opened today. In one part of the exhibit there are the mixed exhibit of muntjacs, Nicobar pigeons and pied imperial pigeons. On the other part, two separated exhibits for each Komodo dragon, exhibits shared with Java sparrows. This Saturday I will go to take photos. For now, there's the news from the Barcelona webpage: La web de la ciutat de Barcelona
Most important is that it is the first gorilla birth where a hand-reared gorilla female is rearing her own offspring! What will happen to the elephant exhibit? Any news on which rhino species they plan to keep?
About the elephant exhibit, the plan is to build a big exhibit of 11000 m2. And about the rhinos, there is no plan to keep rhinos in the future, at least in the map of the future exhibits there are no rhinos. I have just uploaded a set of photos of "Terra de Dragons", the new exhibit that holds Komodo dragons, indian muntjacs, Nicobar pigeons, Pied Imperial-pigeon and Java sparrows (not on display now). There's a plan to add fishes (species unknown) and flying foxes / bats (possibly the flying foxes that are now at the Aquarama).
I made this video that shows a "virtual visit" trough Terra de Dragons: The second Komodo dragon exhibit is empty.
