Belfast » Belfast Zoo

03-12-2007

How right you are about the first bit. The results of the DNA tests were quite conclusive but for the zoos keeping them, its almost as if they never happened....

Port Lympne(and now Belfast) are still producing more cubs, yet when I asked, a keeper there told me (on the side) that there is nowhere suitable for any reintroduction scheme and the gene pool is ridiculously small for a long term future for these lions anyway. That was just after telling a group of the public the usual accepted 'Barbary Lion' story!

It seems the zoos holding them are persevering with a myth, rather than a reality. That's unless they can find and identify some more genuine 'barbaries' in other collections. e.g. Madrid Zoo in Spain claim to have them but they haven't been tested. I believe there is currently no funding for further research by the Japanese scientist who has done the most work so far on the Barbary Lion and its genetics, so that's unlikely too.

Only a very small (3?) % of the Rabat lions were tested and I have an idea it was only cubs which were tested at both Rabat Zoo and Port Lympne, as it was possible to get blood samples from them easily. But if all the Rabat Lions are known to be closely-related(as are Port Lympne's) then the result for the cubs would indicate the provenance for all the adults too.

23-08-2008

The old zoo at belfast is no longer in use, this s mainly due to the fact that Belfast zoo is the last council owned zoo and city council have other things that they could spend the tax payers money on. Not everyone is a zoo fan.

25-08-2008

Although I have never visited Belfast, I was under the impression that the old site of the zoo was largely an off-view area which they used to great affect in breeding some of the more nervous species, such as pied tamarin and clouded leopard. Is this correct?

The old Belfast Zoo
25-08-2008

You are correct The old zoo was used for breeding, the more specialized species. But now only the old chimp house is used. The whole of the old zoo could be landscaped and reused but as i said before I think that the council have other ideas.
The New zoo as it is fondly called by the staff is being up dated and revamped all the time. Belfast zoo despite the fact it is built on the side of a mountain, is a outstanding zoo and the mountain only enhances the views. There has been a new reception built and will open in early in early September. The old tropical house is now the rain forest experience, and the elephant house has had a face lift. The old bull den is now opened up and now houses the protective contact barrier's for elephant training. The three elephant dens have been knocked into one larg area. And I beleive there is other changes in the pipeline.

25-08-2008

what changes would these be Tarkin?

26-08-2008

Sorry Kiang
But I am not in the know on other changes and I dont like to speculate on things that I have no first hand knowlage about.If I find out any more I will pass it on.

Tarkin

07-09-2008

about 2 weeks ago i was in Belfast zoo with a friend. (first time i visited this zoo). Although we diddn't have the best weather-conditions we enjoyed our visit. It's quite a special zoo because of the mountain its on. That was also a bit the downside for us. Our dutch legs are definately not made for that But at the same time there were some superb enclosures because of that mountain. Like the spectacled bear enclosure, which was my favorit of the zoo. I don't think there were any animals that had to little space. Especially the antilopes had very big enlosures.

Does anyone know if there are planns to do something with the old "floral hall"? It's a very impressive building, but unfortunately, it looks very bad now and it's almost falling apart. Is the zoo allowed to destroy it or is it a "protected monument" or something?

They had one of the weirdest groups of gorillas i've ever seen. I think i saw 3,2. One animal was constantly throwing branches and dirt to the visitors.

Due to the weather we diddnt see all the special species like the sifaka, fossa, temmicks cat But still we've seen the nile lechwe, moloch gibbons (my fav gibbonspecies) and some birdspecies i had never seen before.

(a couple of pictures i made; Recent zoo pictures - a set on Flickr )

07-09-2008

I am pleased that you enjoyed your visit, and yes the hill is a bite steep, but this only adds to the charm of the place. As for the the Floral Hall There has been talk of it being turned into a wedding center. Personally I think it would be better used as part of the zoo, maybe a bigger reptile house or a bigger education center. There is numerous alternatives for it. As for the gorillas I think the one you are referring to is Kakcoma(not sure of the spelling). He is a castrated male who does not appear to have past his adolescence,as anytime I have seen him he is interacting with the public, either banging the glass or throwing things.

14-09-2008

Thanks for the info Tarkin. I do hope the do something nice with that floral hall. There aren't many big or impressive buildings in the zoo, so turning it into, for example a reptilehouse as you suggested, would be a wonderful addition.

08-10-2008

I also hope something is done with the Floral hall. Like ya suggested, a bigger reptile house, perhaps with crocs or camians, would be great.
Also hoping something will be done with the area at the start, exhibits 1, 2 and 3 are, from a visitors point of view, barely visited. Me and my cousin ALWAYS go down there to get a glimpse of the tapirs and the large Bongo herd and it's completly empty apart from some teenagers hanging about in the bushes smoking on my last visit.
I was thinking of perhaps moving on of the speices of Antelope into on of the lower exhibits (near the road) and then using the empty exhibit for a new animal?
I have LOADs of ideas...:P

08-10-2008

lets hear them then mr Saxon

20-10-2008

yes i'd love to hear them too! i look after that area of the zoo and is indeed a quiet area. although next year we will be starting our bongo experience, where public will have the ability to come and hand feed our growing herd and donate towards insitu consevation. In the bottom paddock we are currrently exhibiting mixed bachelor group of nile lechwe, blesbok and sitatunga which will hopefully be joined by some ostrich later in the year. Lots of ideas of new species are alwayas being thought of but as with many zoos it comes down to money and resources! I would love a big cat species perhaps a leropard down there, drill and pygmy hippo! all which havbe been talked about at one time or another. i'd love also to mix yellow backed duiker, wattled cranes and ground hornbills with the bongos! i can but dream for the time being!

22-10-2008

Hi,

Have just joined the forum - grew up in Belfast and now based in London. Belfast is still one of the best zoos I've ever been to. Agree that the area at the bottom of Belfast Zoo has lots of potential - I reckon London Zoo would kill for that kind of space! My own view is that it would take the likes of a big cat or pygmy hippo to get many people to visit it - it's so quiet largely because you have to go back on yourself to see the rest of the zoo, which can be done in a circuit.

22-10-2008

Well it would definatly be easier to be able to show you, like being at the zoo and actually showing ya. Anyway I'll give it a shot.

We all know of the main path leading to that part yeah? Well at the very end, where it curves down you could and another path going up through to join the path that takes you through the lemurs free-roaming area. The bottom area leads to the cafe. That way you don't have to double back and can go straight up to the lemurs. I obviously have no idea what this would do to the lemurs, by adding a new path I'm curious to know would they start exploring down there or have they already been down there and it's is of no interest?

Another one is the thin small path near the start of the main path. It leads directly to the Tapirs and winds down through loads of overhanging trees. Well

A) I'd like to see that as a walkthrough area for some sort of small, harmless monkey. Like the lemurs, except they'd be restricted.

B) Or an exhibit on the other side that "connects" somehow to the Tapir exhibit. A form of deer or antelope that can socilize with the Tapir. I know Tapirs are solitary mostly but I don't think they'd be really annoyed with it.

C) An exhibit that doesn't connect. This could be done up and widened (not sure how big it could be) and place animals such as Rhino, hippo or pygmy hippo. Or possibly a monkey or ape such as the orang-utans or a bit cat like a snow/leopard.

D) Or just clear away all the trees and place several info boards around. The easy option:P

I have other ideas aswell for the zoo such as the little empty exhibit between the maned wolves and lions. Are the black-footed cats going there?

4 Weeks Ago

For those interested, here is a page from the Belfast site showing a few drawings of the new reception and entrance area.

Belfast City Council. Belfast Zoo. New reception area.