How well does Bhanu get along with the three girls? His brother arrived at Chessington the same time Bhanu arrived at London, and had fathered cubs within months it seemed
It sounds like he has been intimidated by a cohort of 3 females. His brother at Chessington joined a single female- an easier mix and resultant breeding.
Sounds like poor Bhanu never stood a chance, particularly with lioness as closely knit as those three! Probably for the best considering all three have yet to produce cubs and aren’t getting any younger. Worth noting that I believe, when the girls depart, this will bring an end to a lineage that dates back to when London first acquired Asiatic lion.
I do think ZSL/RP has left it really late to act upon the issues that have prevented the very important new bloodline from actually doing what they were planning with in the first place: breeding success with Asiatic lion.
When I heard those two males(brothers) from Canada were moving to UK I thought maybe London were getting both of them together. As a male 'pair' they would have been a stronger alliance and ratio with the females and the result might have been different. But London's loss was Chessington's gain...
Since London zoo has been around for so long and has had so many animals within its history one would believe they would have done somewhat better in breeding terms with some species Gorillas being an example, they seemed to have struggled with them over the long term but a small zoo/fun park like Chessington which was not really to far away did so much better!
London have just experienced a whole series of incredibly back luck incidents with their gorilla groupings + some bad management decisions. In particular in 1985/6 when they finally bred two young females from Zaire & Salome, but instead of keeping them as future breeders, allowed them to be sent away to Belfast. In doing that they lost their best opportunity of establishing a good group for years to come. Chessington on the other hand kept the young females they bred, making a natural group of related females- since then their problem over the years has been limiting the number they have.
This is what I find difficult to understand by a major zoo they should have had a much better understanding, I have wondered many times about some of the people they have hired there and if they are up to the job?
Don't start me on some of their management decisions...but in the case of the gorillas I think bad luck- mainly the deaths of several consecutive males, and lack of good-aged females, played the major part, apart from the incident/decision I mentioned. But certainly two of the males they allowed to come(Jeremiah & Bobby) had little chance of ever breeding either, again they allowed themselves to receive animals other zoos did not want.
Methinks it’s good brownie points to have “ZSL” on your CV! Certainly ZSL haven’t endeared themselves to the wider zoo community over the years and, some extent, the general public. There’s still those that bring up the issues with the elephants Dixie and Pole Pole as a stick to beat them with.
I just get the feeling ZSL could be stuck in a time warp of yester-year perhaps hiring people that went to the right school?. There has to be a good reason why this major zoo has been in decline for years?. I was told many many years ago that the land which the zoo sits on is far to valuable to have a zoo sitting on it and that has always been in the back of my mind every time the zoo seems to be in trouble, Can it really be because of being mismanaged for years or could there be another reason behind it!
As noted on the ZSL London Zoo Facebook post, Arya the female from Paignton will arrive to join Bhanu.
Especially after whipsnade which probably could have had another litter of tiger Cubs instead decided 3 males was enough for their exhibit and sent the parents off to other collections,
With respect, whilst I share your irritation regarding Whipsnade'S tigers, the London situation is entirely different. The male Sumatran tiger has now killed 2 potential mates(one before going to London) and imo should be moved to a sanctuary to lead a solitary life, allowing London to bring in a new pair. London can do without the publicity of a 3rd mistake since the new exhibit opened!
Wonder if this is why they can’t find a female tiger to join him as no other collection happy to risk it, ideally your right , move him on and move a whipsnade male to London and find a young female x
