ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2012

TBF, they are fiendishly cryptic. To be honest, it is another aspect of London's long march away from having any truly unusual mammals on display.

While there are other taxa, auch as aardvarks, Asiatic lions and okapi that are rare or unusual, the white-collared mangabeys are abou the only mammalian taxon these days that I don't think are easily seen elsewhere.

 

I thought Marwell had Pottos?

(Ah, I see they aren't on their website anymore, guessing they have moved on? Shame.)

 

Agreed, never had any problem seeing them at London, but at Marwell i only saw them 2 or 3 times in over 10 visits. The problem there was placing a nocturnal exhibit next to a large automatic sliding door!
Malayan Tapir are pretty hard to see in the UK now too, particularly as most of Twycross enclosure not visible now.

 

Mine haven't been that successful, but i saw one asleep on my last visit, the house has been shut on my visits over the last 4 years which doesn't help!
I agree about Edinburgh, i had no problems there or port lympne, but Scotland is sadly more of a problem to get to than for you!

 

I've seen them in the shelter the last couple of times I've visited (within the last couple of weeks) which has made me wonder if they've been there more often as I often didn't look there when I was passing!

Of course, soon when they move (to the Casson), you won't have to worry about that house being shut!

 

I got to see them swimming last time I went, very lucky!

 

Yep, I think I've only seen that twice!

 

I wonder about that...presumably they hope to continue their slow but steady breeding success with this species, I doubt they would hesitate to close the Casson for months on end if further calves are born.

 

I would take it that their new exhibit will landscaped with more accessible viewing for the general public in mind, while at the same time looking after all the particular needs for the species (for which the current exhibit is a good example with the shed, mud area and a surrounding pool (I expect at the new location a pool both in the center and along the perimeter of their exhibit).

Incidentally, I have never had any trouble seeing the Malayan tapirs at ZSL … you just have to look harder and know where to look.

 

Does anyone know if they are altering the interior of the Casson Pavilion so that the Tapirs will have an indoor swimming facility, apart from the elephant /hippo bathing pool which is in a separate den. Could they make the indoor moat, or just a small section of it, watertight to give them a pool?

KB is right about outside too- the original elephant bathing pool is quite difficult to see from the perimeter and if the Tapirs are in that they will be very hard to see I think.

IMO Port Lympne is best for Malayans- they have so many you are almost guaranteed seeing at least a couple.

 

There is a pool in one of the indoor stalls. It seems to be quite small and is raised so it looks rather like a bathtub. I'm not sure if anything more elaborate would be allowed. Maybe they will also have access to the present hippo pool mentioned above.

 

They've made an early start on the indoor one (the first photo), the outside one you can't really see the full depth (the second photo).

 

If they aren't having the pygmy hippo pool, are the hippos staying in the Casson, at least in the short term?
I agree with the comments re: the outside pool, viewing will be worse than it is now when they're in there!

 

The Pygmy Hippos are going to where the tapirs are now, unsure of when.

I think there will be a very good view of them in the outside pool from what I can make out. Unless they start filling it in, which would be weird after how much they dug out, it's going to be a very big pool. It looks like one of the viewing areas is going to be right in front of it.

Edited to include a picture.

 

The outside areas look promising. Landscape wise and otherwise the same cannot be said now of the interior building. I would seriously do away with those cemented deep moat barriers and extend the interior stalls to the visitor public viewing areas. Fingers crossed there!

Any detailed design plans already available for Malayan tapir inside and outside areas.

 

Thanks, it appears the pool is nearer the path than i remembered from seeing elephants in it 30ish years ago!

 

Asian Lion 'Rubi'.

I am not a regular visitor to ZSL London (unfortunately) and was thinking is the young female Asian Lion 'Rubi' still kept with the pride? I haven't seen any photos of the ZSL London pride all together for a while now.