ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2019

I asked a volunteer whilst visiting the other week and they told me she isn’t in that enclosure anymore, so even if you did attempt to go down the corridor I don’t think you’d find much down there! the volunteer said there are currently golden lion tamarins in that enclosure

 

There are tree-kangaroos on-exhibit at Bristol and Chester that you can see without trespassing into private areas

~Thylo

 

I wasn't seriously suggesting someone actually did this, just that the no entry sign is poorly placed!!
I also pointed out where it could be seen from without going down the corridor!

 

Put it this way Dave , I am a part of the Zoo world , albeit not in this country (where I am currently located) and the comment was said very much tongue in cheek .

As such , I'm well aware of the zoonosis / pathogen transmission risks , health and safety legislation, and of course stress and behavioural responses in animals to visitors in Zoos because part of my work back home is mitigating this behaviour in visitors and ensuring our animals welfare conditions. Needless to say , I wouldn't be stupid enough to just go absent mindedly wandering through corridors that are sign posted as "No Entry" or "Private".

Ultimately , I suppose its quite good that someone at ZSL is actually bothering to read posts on the forum. Perhaps you might kindly direct their attention and that of their superiors to all the constructive criticism of the zoo that zoochatters ( Afterall visitors hard earned cash goes to funding their In-situ and Ex-situ conservation programes , does it not ? ) have posted over a span of several years ?

ZSL are certainly in better straits financially and have far better funding then our institution back home and far less excuse (None whatsoever as far as I can see) for all the cock-ups , hollow platitudes , reports by ex workers of a toxic organizational culture and bureaucratic mismanagement.

Furthermore, I understand your role as moderator on this site and in trying to maintain a constructive relationship between this community and zoos but I'd rather you took it easy on Pipaluk. He/she was evidently not trying to encourage trespassing and was simply stating that the enclosure could be seen from a number of vantage points in the Clore building , a structure that is characteristically (for ZSL) eccentric and confusingly laid out.

 

If you are part of the zoo world, then it might be worth emailing and seeing if you can be shown the tree kangaroo. I was taken in to see her, after asking David Field about her at a ZSL lecture a few years ago.

 

Thank you for the suggestion , I might well do that , although I am not by any means a VIP , far from anything like that in fact

 

Sadly the aquarium is set to close to the public next week, 22nd October

 

Pottos can apparently live up to 29 years in captivity (maximum recorded lifespan in captivity for the species) so the London pair might potentially have almost a decade left , but the average lifespan is more likely to be around 25-26 years.

 

Just worth a reminder of this post, apparently tomorrow is the last day to see the famous aquarium. Sadly my visit earlier this year will be my last!

 

I have been told this morning by members of our staff who visited last week (as tourists) that there are signs up in the aquarium saying that it is now not actually closing. Unfortunately they didnt realise the significance and did not take any photos. Could these be spoofs..?

 

If it isn't closing that would be great news, but given the developments at Whipsnade and London's Bugs house I would be surprised if it isn't closing.

 

Indeed - the posters are interesting though...?

 

Perhaps the Aquarium closure may have been postponed until after the half-term holidays?

 

Fellows of the Zoological Society were notified that the London Zoo Aquarium would be permanently closed this autumn.

Obviously I hope the aquarium is not closing but, if there really has been a change of plan and the aquarium has been reprieved, it is strange that Fellows of the Zological Society have not been informed.

 

Sadly, I’m pretty sure it is indeed closing this week.... maybe it was confusion regarding the “new” “aquarium” in “BUGS”?

The latest map - https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/media/2019-08/Map of ZSL London Zoo August 2019.pdf - does not indicate the aquarium, even though the zoo’s piss-poor website gives no indication of anything being amiss with what was, until recently, one of ZSL’s most impressive features: Aquarium.

 

I also think that ZSL's website is a bit limited when trying to find out about what species are in what attraction or even a complete species list (something a lot of zoo websites lack) aside from the inventory. At least they put the inventory as well but their news page is particularly lacking of information, especially about recent developments.

Does anyone know what's planned regarding the area in BUGS?

 

There appears to be some misunderstanding here.

I was sceptical about the suggestion that the current aquarium wasn't closing after all. On my visit today, sadly, I saw no signs stating that the aquarium wasn't closing.

There are a number of information signs about the new Whipsnade aquarium and the planned coral reef exhibit elsewhere at London Zoo; I assume these were the cause of the confusion.

 

It is supposed to be a marine/coral reef area, presumably on a slightly small scale...

 

Twitter thread acknowledging the closure today from a keeper liam [Enter spooky name here] tunmore on Twitter