The zoo published a first artist's impression of the future pantanal aviary: Spende Neugestaltung Pantanal | Zoo Zürich It appears they are planning to add giant otters.
On other news: According to a zoo guide, the new area for gorillas between the geladas, the elephants, and the Lewa savanna will be on a Congo theme and include pygmy hippo.
Some years ago I was told that there at least should be an other monkey/primate species (I have no idea which it could be). I also could imagine an aviary for shoebills (if they could be obtained). Anyway, I'm really excited for the Pantanal aviary! Seems like there will be more changes that I even imagined!
I guess one of the guenon species most likely. Take your pick as most are welcome. Pygmy hippo coming back into the collection is restarting a tradition, is it not?
@Kifaru Bwana: Indeed it is. If I remember correctly, Zoo Zurich got its Pygmy hippos as a gift from the former President of Liberia, William Tubman. The first pair died shortly after their arrival in Zurich, but the second pair (Grebbo and Wanna) lived more then 40 years here, producing 19 offsprings during that time. Ref. guenons: I suggest to wait until this will be confirmed officially. It can happen, but it also won't be the first time, that the responsible persons at Zoo Zurich would downsize their collection plan for a new exhibit... (e.g. Himalaya was originally planned with Amur leopards).
I was in Zürich yesterday, it wasn't a sunny day but I had a great time nonetheless. Except for a few bad exhibits that should (hopefully) be replaced soon, what struck me the most (hadn't been there for 2 years) was the overall high quality of everything. From food, to theming, to enclosures, they go in depth. Of course, I didn't take in consideration the Monkey house when stating this, I really hope they replace it soon. But the newer additions of the zoo really add up to make a set of really amazing exhibits. I even liked the Australian part even though it's not as impressive as other things. The Gelada - Elephant House - Lewe savannah - Masoala combo is pretty mind blowing. I knew all the exhibits except for the new African part. Even if the species exhibited can be a bit disapointing from a zoo nerf stand point, the area is really well done. The mock rock is probably the best I've seen (especially in the Hyena area) and the indoor housing for rhinos (and giraffes next door), even though not thaaat spacious so probably more from a visitor standpoint, is maybe the best one I've seen as well (not that I've seen that many, and I can't remember any where they actually tried to make it look really good). They added Chukars to the Swinhoe's striped squirrels - Derby's parakeet exhibit, the number of young Geladas was impressive and I saw the Crested drongo for the first time, only bird left is the Pitta-like ground roller.
Zürich now has Nubian ibexes. For now they’re alternating exhibits with the Geladas, they soon will be introduced to each other. Also, a documentary about (or filmed in the zoo at least. 2 years in the making) should be released soon.
To be correct: Zoo Zürich has Nubian ibexes AGAIN. They had them already (2 or 3 males) when they opened the "African Mountain" exhibit, but lost (or gave away) the last specimen a couple of years/months ago.
Glad they continued the holding, apparently they are not afraid anymore of erosion, or is this the new curator + director that have an interest in rarer species again?
The official handover was in July. The new Director is Severin Dressen, German, Curator at Zoo Wuppertal before. There is also a new Curator for Communication, Pascal Marty, who has - more or less - replaced retired Robert Zingg. ("More or less" because the management was new organized with sometimes different areas of responsibility)
I really hope they’re into rarer species. Exhibiting is on point in Zürich, they just need to make sure they keep a few nerd rarities.
That's great news! Do you know from where and how many? I belive there will be again a only-male herd? Actually they were both euthanized due to hoove problems, about two years ago.
@arafan The ibex must come from Tallinn or la Haute Touche as these two are the only historical breeding facilities. Magdeburg started to breed recently so not sure they can send animals for the moment.
Visited the Lewa savanna recently. It is probably the most realistic savanna in Europe, including fake flowers on a fake baobab. The central paddock felt great. The aviary is also generous for grey parrots. I especially liked smooth connection between indoor and outdoor spaces of giraffes, porcupines and hyenas. Like this was one continuous space. However hyenas have relatively little space. Dahomey cows are just pointless display, I suppose they are just space filler for some future exhibit. One thing I feel inadequate is approach to the information. The zoo feels many visitors can't absorb much information, fine. However it would be now possible to put QR codes or otherwise smoothly link to more complete information online, especially about the Lewa project itself, not general animal information. Or put more information tables. If something doesn't work, it is the information post in the fake school which I found was not used by visitors. Because going inside isolates the visitor from animals. Spoiler: Things I would do differently on Lewa - I feel there is too much cultural theming/storytelling in the zoo now and its novelty wears off and becomes annoying. What is the point of a fake barber shop? - I would make fake baobab so, that the visitor path would go through the tree hollow, and perhaps make some small animal exhibit inside. - Theming-wise, the zoo does not utilize its position on a steep slope. Giraffes seen from above feel small. It they were viewed from below, they would be towering. - These rocks and steep walls beg for some rock-climbing animal.I would replace hyenas with leopards, which are more attractive and could be an endangered subspecies, and let them climb and rest on some rock faces. - I would also put egyptian fruit bats in a dark freeflying exhibit inside rocks, possibly instead of porcupines. - I would put some funny race of domestic goats on the main paddock to illustrate the grazing theme. - I would allow visitors to climb the kopje rocks. - I would make the aviary larger, and put more birds – probably vultures, which are endangered, southern bald ibises, abdim's storks, guinea pigeons and bee-eaters fitting the theme of a steep canyon. - I would also further reduce some dead space, for example the back wall of the canyon. - I would give more space to meerkats, and raise ground of their exhibit. I would replace huge, heavy stone posts in the meerkat exhibit with smallest possible ones, and make small viewing windows much larger. -I would put some small mammals in the central paddock, maybe zebra mongoose or bat-eared foxes instead of the guineafowl. And I did the mission impossible – I saw the free-ranging mouse lemur in Masoala hall. Second half of October, after the time change, the zoo closes slightly after sunset and mouse lemurs become active just before 6.p.m. I saw one from the low information hut overlooking the giant tortoise pond in Masoala. I was shining my phone light at the feeding cage. The lemur came in, fed, than went away. It did not mind the light.
So kam es zum Tod des Elefäntchens im Zoo Zürich The reason for the death of this year's third elephant calf was his weakness. It was a bull. The calf could not get to his feet and the others tried to help him, but he was weak and injured and died.
