Zürich Zoo Zurich Zoo News 2023

Some sad news to start the year:

A male Asian elephant calf was born to Farha, but died shortly after birth:

Zurich Zoo mourns another baby elephant

The young animal was too weak and died despite the best effort of vets, Zurich Zoo said in a statement on Monday. The calf will be examined in the coming days to determine the exact cause of death, it said.

Mother Farha and grandmother Ceyla-Himali, who was also present, looked after the calf and tried to revive him. The vets also tried to help. Nevertheless, the calf died shortly after birth.

 

Two days ago 4 (1,3) King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) were send to Zoo Berlin.

Source:
Instagram of Zoo Zürich (07/03/2023)

 

The restructuring of the herps collection towards more rare and endangered species is still ongoing with the arrival of two new rarely kept species in February:

- Reisingers tree monitor (tenth European holding)
- Vicente's poison frog (Oophaga vicentei) (second European holding)

Notable deaths in February include a spectacled bear, an Arabian oryx and 45 kg of Polleni cichlids.

Source: zoo Zürich website

 

45kg?!

 

Yep, with 12 kg harvested in January 2023 the population is apparently growing so quickly with so few options for distribution to other zoos that this breed and cull strategy is the most viable option...

 

According to its website, Zoo Zurich is planning to close its enclosures for lions, tigers, mongolian wolves, and snow leopards in July 2023 in order to develop new rotational exhibits 'Panterra' for lions, tigers, and snow leopards as well as a walk-through insect and spider exhibit in the lions house. The new enclosures are scheduled to open in 2025.

Neues für die Grosskatzen | Zoo Zürich
Medien-Apéro März: Panterra – Neuer Lebensraum für Tiger, Löwe und Schneeleopard | Zoo Zürich

 

As long as they keep the snow leopard exhibit open-topped, fine by me.

 

Are these fish in the pond in Masoala?

 

I'd be curious to know how European members feel about this. I was under the impression these exhibits were already excellent and from my perspective it seems unnecessary to replace an already superb set of exhibits.

 

Lions and tigers enclosures are definitely too small, so getting rid of the wolves to get more place for the big cats isn't a bad idea at all. I like the concept of rotational enclosures, and I think that Zürich can do really well. I just don't understand why they have included the snow leopards in the project. They already have a really good enclosure, that could hardly houses lions or tigers. I'm scared that they could rebuild it...

 

Yes they are in the 2 Masoala ponds.

 

Big cats are indeed, not the most urgent project in the zoo.

However, if tigers can get a combined space of the former wolves, maybe by construction of this overhead tunnel, it would be good. Current wolf exhibit is much too small, needs better viewing for visitors, and needs creating more flat surfaces for animals to comfortably move. Current tiger exhibit is slightly too small and tigers are obstructed by bushy trees and one particular tree trunk.

Lion exhibit is decent, only needs removing the short-clawed otters and birds. The plan to mix the species was bold but failed. The snow leopard exhibit is excellent and needs no visible changes. In this part of the zoo, red pandas have much too small exhibit, too.

Overall, animals which most need new exhibits in Zurich zoo are apes: gibbons, orangutans and gorillas. Very intelligent animals living in the cramped building from many decades ago. Zoo has published plans for new grandiose tropical exhibits, but scheduled for the distant future. This means that the apes will spend a decade or so in their old building.

I am now confused. The zoo earlier announced that next will be a new African forest building near the savanna with gorillas. Then a plan of covering Pantanal exhibit with a roof. Does it mean that these two are dropped because the zoo could not raise funds?

 

Both the 'Kongo' project and the 'Pantanal' aviary project are ongoing according to the zoo's website:
11 Lebensräume bis 2050 | Zoo Zürich
Aktuelle Bauprojekte | Zoo Zürich

The specific timeline for openings appears to be:
2023 Nature Conservation Center
2025 Research Station (Master Plan, page 21)
2025 Panterra
2027 Pantanal Aviary (previously 2025, has been delayed due to legal appeals from neighbors)
2029 Kongo

 

Apparently the structure of the enclosures will mainly still the same, but they should all be adapted in order to suit the security requirements for all three species. So I think that all the enclosures will be refurbished.

 

But the wolves in Zurich belong to a rare subspecies. What will happen to them?

 

They will be sent to another zoo. Which one is currently unknown.

 

During Easter 4 Ural owls (Strix uralensis) hatched.

Recently 3 Black-necked swans (Cygnus melancoryphus) hatched.

Sources:
Instagram of Zoo Zürich (11/04/2023)
Instagram of Zoo Zürich (12/04/2023)

 

Recently 10-year old female Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) Mimpi was send to Kristiansand Dyreparken (Norway) to start a new breeding group there!

Source:
Instagram of Zoo Zürich (14/04/2023)

 

The female Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) has laid multiple eggs.

Source:
Instagram of Zoo Zürich (27/04/2023)

 

Forgot to share the answer I recieved to what invertebrate species are kept in the masoala rainforest, that were the only group of animals only mentioned as number in oposite to the vertebrate species named in latin german and english on their website and the zoolex article. ( ZooLex Exhibit - Masoala Rainforest )

The number of about 50 species, is officialy out dated due to the closure of the marine tank, but I was not given any information if these might have just moved to the aquarium.

Note that it can not be determined for certain if the species are still present or actualy died out as free roamers in relation to the sheer size of the hall and possibilities to hide.

Intentionaly introduced
Termite species (plural) not given
Technomyrmex sp., potentialy other ants not intentionaly introduced
Archispirostreptus gigas und Spirostreptus spec Millipede
several cockroach species with specificaly mentioned with latin names Periplaneta australasiae and Pycnoscelus surinamensis
European earwig intentionaly supported

Accidentally established due to the imports of the plants from different local realms, once again species not specificaly named, because they sadly did not get to study them yet.

Failed attempt
Parasphendale affinis praying mantis