DZG chimps and Senior Keeper Jodie Dryden made an early morning TV appearance today in a programme for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. They featured in the BBC TWO programme See Hear at 8am showing how Dudley Zoo’s primate keepers communicate with our seven chimps through hand signals. See Hear Researcher Melissa Wessel contacted us to … Continue reading Chimps on telly
Keeper Josh Luxton is itching to try out new techniques with our sea lions after attending a workshop in Wales. The 24-year-old keeper has recently returned from the BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Seal and Sea Lion Workshop which took place at the end of last month at Welsh Mountain Zoo … Continue reading Studying sea lions
It’s a sign of a close bond that keepers can communicate with our chimps and understand their needs through hand signals. Keepers working with our seven female chimpanzees regularly use chimp sign language, comprising seven simple commands, which enables staff to easily perform health checks and give any necessary treatment. The Lower Primates team, made … Continue reading Communicating with chimps
Bird keepers are p-p-pleased to reveal we’ve got 74 Humboldt penguins – including seven babies – after their September stock-take. Each September, once the breeding and moulting season is over, we take time to check over and count each bird in the colony, identify them by their flipper bands and scan their microchips. The seven … Continue reading Humboldt headcount
When Keeper Josh Luxton attached a camera to a target training stick he didn’t expect our giraffes to come right in for a close up. Inquisitive duo Kubwa and Josie kept reaching for the mini camera with their tongues – which gave Josh chance to make a quick health check and a great video too! … Continue reading Ready for our close-ups!
DZG Head of Birds Nicola Wright has attended a flamingo forum on coping with any future outbreak of avian influenza in the UK. The section leader received a certificate after attending the ABWAK (Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) Flamingo Keepers’ Workshop on bird biosecurity, hosted by ZSL London Zoo on July 26. … Continue reading Flamingo forum
DZG’s black bear Inca – thought to be the oldest in the world – is doing un-bear-lievably well after sailing through her annual health check. And one of the key factors helping the much-loved 38-year-old’s current fine form is this heatwave, which is doing her joints the world of good. As the oldest Asiatic black … Continue reading Un-bear-lievably well
We’ve got baby news in our birds section where a red-crested turaco chick has hatched. Senior Bird Keeper Ben Vanes has just caught up with the little one to put an identification ring on its leg, but we don’t yet know if it is male or female. The chick, born to our breeding pair in … Continue reading Turaco tot
It was a close shave for DZG’s Icelandic sheep when they lost their woolly fleeces for the summer. Our Curator Richard Brown – helped by Kirsty Thornton, Chris Leeson and Amy Paddock – put his new shears into action to shave off the animals’ thick coats. Senior Keeper Kirsty Thornton said: “It was time for … Continue reading A close shave
Keepers have been getting the measure of creatures down on the DZG Farm – with some new digital scales. Knox, our pygmy hedgehog, a leopard gecko and Pocahontas the guinea pig were first to test out the new scales. Farm Section Leader Lesley Lewis said: “We weigh all our animals monthly as part of their health … Continue reading Tipping the scales!
