We’ve got a plea to half term visitors to help us provide scent-sational enrichment for our big cats. We’re running low on stocks of herbs and spices, which we use to encourage natural hunting, tracking and foraging behaviours for the likes of our Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers and Carpathian lynx. Keeper Josh Luxton … Continue reading Herbs and spices help!
When the zoo’s veterinary team needed somewhere dark to aid ultra scan procedures for our female sea lions, our clever keepers got to work designing the Ultra Pod! The wooden pod features a boxed area for the vet to get into, while keepers can position the sea lion on a platform at the side, with … Continue reading Keepers design Ultra Pod
There’s a real chill in the air these days, but we’ve got a variety of species on site who love the cold weather. Many of these animals are specially adapted to cope with the freezing temperatures in their natural habitats around the globe. And winter’s a great time at the zoo to come and see … Continue reading Cold loving animals!
We’re really excited to announce the arrival of four Arctic foxes – a species we haven’t held at DZG for at least three decades. Keepers collected the four five-month-old brothers from Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland earlier this week. And the brothers, who’ve been named after the Peaky Blinders’ Shelby brothers – Tommy, Arthur, John … Continue reading Arctic foxes arrive!
Further plans have been put in motion to bring brown bears back to DZG following a visit to a four-day international zoo event. DZG Curator Richard Brown and Birds Section Leader Nicola Wright joined more than 900 conservationists at Bioparc Valencia in Spain for the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) Annual Conference. The … Continue reading Bear plans put in place
Patagonian sealion Oba helped us congratulate our latest Employee of the Month, Keeper Josh Luxton, with a great big smacker on his cheek! Josh, a popular choice for this month’s accolade, was presented with a certificate and gift vouchers for his enthusiasm and willingness in helping the media and marketing team promote the zoo’s work. … Continue reading Fishy kisses for Josh!
Thirty-eight-year-old Asiatic black bear, Inca, was an incredible ambassador to her species. At the time of her death earlier this year, Inca was the titleholder of the oldest known moon bear in Europe, having outlived the typical life expectancy of her kind by more than a decade. And she’s continuing to do remarkable things for … Continue reading An incredible ambassador
Sumatran tigers, Daseep and Joao, enjoyed some special enrichment as they helped mark International PKU Day. PKU, or Phenylketonuria, is a rare inherited metabolic disorder where people can’t break down protein and is a condition our Senior Keeper Kirsty Thornton was diagnosed with as a baby following the routine heel-prick screening. To help mark … Continue reading Enrichment awareness
A scent-sational birthday breakfast was served up to our handsome seven year-old Sumatran tiger Joao this morning. To celebrate his big day, keepers used some heart-shaped hose reel enrichment, which they’d left in used giraffe bedding overnight and stuffed it full of his favourite meaty chunks before hanging it from the outdoor climbing frame for … Continue reading Scent-sational birthday breakfast!
It is with great sadness we announce the loss of our beloved Inca, the Asiatic black bear. Inca passed away last night at the grand age of 38, holding the title of the oldest known moon bear in Europe. Curator Richard Brown said: “Inca was very special to DZG and had outlived the typical life … Continue reading Death of Inca
