Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo
Date opened 1913[1]
Location Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates 55°56′35″N 3°16′5″W / 55.94306°N 3.26806°W / 55.94306; -3.26806
Land area 82 acres (33 ha)[1]
Number of animals 1075 (2008)[2]
Number of species 171
Annual visitors >600,000
Memberships BIAZA,[3]EAZA,[4]WAZA[5]
Major exhibits Giant Pandas, Penguins, Koalas, Chimpanzees, Sun Bears
Website www.edinburghzoo.org.uk

Edinburgh Zoo, formally the Scottish National Zoological Park, is an 82-acre (33 ha) non-profit zoological park located in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The mission statement of Edinburgh Zoo is "To excite and inspire our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats".

The land lies on the Corstorphine Hill, from which it provides extensive views of the city. Built in 1913, and owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, it receives over 600,000 visitors a year, which makes it Scotland's second most popular paid-for tourist attraction, after Edinburgh Castle.[1] As well as catering to tourists and locals, the Zoo is involved in many scientific pursuits, such as captive breeding of endangered animals, researching into animal behaviour, and active participation in various conservation programs around the world.[6]

Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo in the world to house and to breed penguins. It is also the only zoo in Britain to house koalas and giant pandas. The zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions. It has also been granted four stars by the Scottish Tourism Board. The zoo gardens boast one of the most diverse tree collections in the Lothians.[7]

History

Main article: History of Edinburgh Zoo
Tian Tian, the female giant panda, who came to the Zoo with her male companion in late 2011

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) was founded as a registered charity in 1909 by an Edinburgh lawyer, Thomas Hailing Gillespie. The Corstorphine Hill site was purchased by the Society with help from the Edinburgh Town Council in early 1913.[8] Gillespie's vision of what a Zoological Park should be was modeled after the 'open design' of Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg, a zoo which promoted a more spacious and natural environment for the animals, and stood in stark contrast to the steel cages typical of the menageries built during the Victorian era.[9] The Scottish National Zoological Park was opened to the public in the summer of 1913 and was incorporated by Royal Charter later that year. However, it was only in 1948, following a visit by HRH King George VI, that the Society was granted the privilege of adding the prefix 'Royal' to its name. It remains the only zoo with a Royal Charter in the United Kingdom.[10]

Edinburgh Zoo's long association with penguins began in January 1914, with the arrival of three king penguins from the Christian Salvesen whaling expedition which docked in Leith. The subsequent successful hatching of a King Penguin chick in 1919 was the first penguin to be hatched in captivity. These were the first penguins to be seen outside of the South Atlantic anywhere in the world. The now famous daily penguin parade started by accident in 1950 with the escape of several birds. This proved so popular with visitors and the penguins that it is a daily feature of the zoo today.[10]

After Tom Gillespie retired, Gilbert D. Fisher was appointed director-secretary of the Zoo in 1956. He held the post till he retired in 1971.[11]

In 1986, the Society acquired the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie, 30 miles (48 km) south of Inverness. The Zoo and the Park work together in providing the most appropriate captive habitat possible in Scotland. Public visitation trips between both sites are organised frequently by the RZSS.[12]

The Zoo still retains the original charter, which drives its active breeding program, and biodiversity, conservation and sustainability initiatives. The RZSS provides multiple ways for the public to help support its mission, including a membership club, animal adoption, donations, legacies and volunteering.[13]

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Animals and Exhibits

See also: List of animals at Edinburgh Zoo
A visitor captures a photo of Tian Tian the panda on her phone

Budongo Trail

Named after the Budongo rainforest in Uganda, the Budongo Trail is a state-of-the-art facility that houses a troop of common chimpanzees. The main building features viewing galleries, a lecture theatre and interactive games and displays that are designed to teach the public about chimpanzees and their lifestyle, social structure and what threats they face in the wild.[14]

Living Links

An area built around a field station and research centre for the study of primate behaviour. The exhibit also features enclosures housing common squirrel monkeys and brown capuchin monkey.[15]

Penguin's Rock

Two King Penguins

Edinburgh Zoo is well known for housing penguins in its collection, the first three being king penguins that arrived in January 1913, and were the first penguins to be seen outside of the South Atlantic anywhere in the world. Currently, the Zoo's penguin pool houses colonies of gentoo, king and rockhopper penguins. At present time (2012), the penguin pool is being reconstructed into a new enclosure called 'Penguin's Rock', because the previous penguin pool has become outdated by modern zoo-keeping standards. The penguin colonies have been temporarily moved to other enclosures while the new enclosure is being constructed.

Giant Pandas

In 2011, two giant pandas, a male named Yang Guang (meaning "sunshine") and a female named Tian Tian (meaning "sweetie"), were loaned to Edinburgh Zoo by the Bifengxia Breeding Centre in China. An enclosure was constructed especially for the pandas, and they will remain at the Zoo for a maximum of ten years before being returned to China. Edinburgh Zoo is currently the only Zoo in the United Kingdom that houses giant pandas.[16][17]

Brilliant Birds

Opened in 2011, Brilliant Birds is a walk-through aviary housing several different species of exotic birds. These include Nicobar pigeons, Bali starlings, bleeding heart pigeons, violet turaco, Cochin-Chinese red junglefowl, blue-faced honeyeaters, and the only Andean cock-of-the-rock in a British zoo. Brilliant Birds also houses a selection of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates in the building's main entrance hall. They include White's tree frogs, giant African land snails, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Leafcutter ants, Partula Snails, yellow-footed tortoises, Nelson's milksnakes, and blue poison arrow frogs.[18]

Koalas

Edinburgh Zoo is the only zoo in the United Kingdom to keep koalas. The Zoo currently has two male and one femaleQueensland koalaswhich are part of the European Breeding Programme. Edinburgh Zoo is the European 'holding facility' for male koalas that are either too young to breed or have successfully bred and are now "retired".[19]

Animal Antics

A daily show in which keepers demonstrate the natural skills of animals to an audience of visitors. Keepers use positive reinforcement training with every animal, which means that the animals that perform in the shows are never forced into doing tricks.[20] Because of this, the animals used in Animal Antics vary between shows.

Other Mammals

Other notable mammal species in the Zoo's collection include Amur leopards, jaguars, wolverines, oriental small-clawed otters, Asian lions, meerkats, sun bears, Sumatran tigers, giant anteaters, binturong, African wild dogs, Grévy's zebras, greater one-horned rhinoceros, vicuna, lesser kudu, nyala, Javan banteng, red river hogs, North American porcupines, pygmy hippopotamus, Malayan tapirs, drill, white-faced saki monkeys, mongoose lemur, golden-headed lion tamarins, geladas, L'Hoest's guenon and Barbary macaques.

Other Birds

A Stanley Crane.

Other notable bird species in the Zoo's collection include Darwin's rhea, Chilean Flamingos, Victoria crowned pigeons, common ravens, Egyptian vultures, scarlet ibis, Stanley cranes, ocellated turkeys, red-fronted macaws, Von der Decken's hornbills, hamerkop, Lady Ross's touraco and Steller's sea eagles.

Military Animals

A statue of Nils Olav

Several of the zoo's animals have held military rank.

  • Wojtek was a bear adopted in Iran by the Polish II Corps and enlisted into the 22nd Artillery Supply Company to allow him to travel when the troops were posted. He served in the Middle East and during the Battle of Monte Cassino and retired to Edinburgh Zoo when the Polish troops, billeted in Scotland, demobilised.[21]
  • Sir Nils Olav, a king penguin, was the mascot and Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard. He was adopted in 1972 when the King's Guard were in the city for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, given the rank of visekorporal (lance corporal), and promoted each time the corps visited the city. He died in 1987 and his successor, Nils Olav II, inherited his rank.[22] Nils was visited by the Norwegian King's Guard on 15 August 2008 and awarded a knighthood. The honour was approved by the King of Norway, King Harald V. During the ceremony a crowd of several hundred people joined the 130 guardsmen at the zoo to hear a citation from King Harald the Fifth of Norway read out, which described Nils as a penguin "in every way qualified to receive the honour and dignity of knighthood".[23]
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Future developments

In 2003, Edinburgh Zoo announced an ambitious, GBP 58 million expansion and development plan that is to take place over the next ten to twenty years. This "Masterplan" will see the Zoo separated into four themed areas based on biomes.[24]

  • Grasslands - An area based on North Asian, African and South American grasslands, savannah and open plains habitats. A recreation of a Nepalese village, an African waterhole and a walk-through safari are planned to be part of the area. The Zoo plans to include giraffes, cheetahs, hornbills, antelope, and ostriches in this biome, which will join the zebras and rhinos that the Zoo already has.
  • Woodlands - Based on Asian, South American and Australian woodlands, as well as mountainous forest habitats. Along with the lions, bears and tigers that the Zoo already has, planned exhibits for this area are birds of prey, kangaroos, wombats, elephants, wolves, and wallabies.
  • Oceans and Wetlands - Based around Arctic, Antarctic, North and South American, Pacific, tropical wetland and coastal habitats. Animals planned for this area include penguins, sea lions and flamingos (which are already part of the zoo's collection), along with polar bears, sea otters, manatees, and capybara.
  • Tropical rainforest - Based around South American, Asian and African rainforests and swamp forests. Planned exhibits include tapirs, jaguars, pygmy hippos, bongo and chimpanzees (all of which already live at the Zoo), as well as orangutans, gibbons, and gorillas.
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Research and conservation

Edinburgh Zoo is the national centre for primate behavioural research.[citation needed]Budongo Trail, a state-of-the-art chimpanzee enclosure, was opened in May 2008 by The Princess Royal. Budongo Trail is a naturalistic enclosure which can house up to 40 chimps. It includes a large outdoor area and three separate indoor areas for the chimps together with observation areas and a lecture theatre for the public. The RZSS is the principal sponsor in the long term study and conservation of a group of approximately 60 chimpanzees as part of the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda, Africa.[25] Amidst the opening of Budongo Trail, Jane Goodall described it as a "wonderful facility" where primates "are probably better off [than] living in the wild in an area like Budongo [Forest], where one in six gets caught in a wire snare, and countries like Congo, where chimpanzees, monkeys and gorillas are shot for food commercially."[26]

In addition to Budongo Trail, the Zoo is home to Living Links, a field station and research centre for the study of primates that was developed in a partnership with the University of St Andrews. Living Links houses capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys originating from the forests of South America, and offers researchers unique opportunities to study primate behaviour.[15]

Gentoo Penguins - adults and chicks

In July 2006, a cull of invasive brown rats on the Scottish island of Canna was deemed a provisional success[27] and after two years of observation, during which time no rats were observed, the island was declared officially rat free by the Environment Minister, Mike Russell on 7 June 2008.[28] The rats had been outcompeting the rare local wood mouse, known as the Canna mouse and also endangering local sea bird populations. The National Trust for Scotland which own the island invested £500,000 employing exterminators from New Zealand to cull the estimated 10,000 brown rats. in co-operation with RZSS, approximately 150 Canna Mice were captured and homed at Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park. 40 mice were returned to the island in late 2006 with the remaining being re-introduced in stages.[29]

In May 2008, a joint application submitted by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) was approved by the Scottish Government allowing for a trial reintroduction of the European beaver to the Knapdale Forest in Mid-Argyll. If the trial is successful then the European beaver will be the first mammal to be reintroduced to the United Kingdom. Beavers have been extinct in Scotland since the 16th century, when they were hunted for their pelt, meat and medicinal properties.[30]

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Population Management

Edinburgh Zoo participate in two levels of breeding programmes in association with EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria):[citation needed]

  • EEP: European Endangered species Programme
  • ESB: European StudBook

The Zoo holds the studbook for the following animals:[citation needed]

  • Gentoo penguin
  • King penguin
  • Diana monkey
  • L’Hoests monkey
  • Hamlyns monkey
  • Pallas cat
  • European otter
  • Warthog
  • Central Chinese goral
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Zoo Gardens

Before being acquired by the society, the Corstorphine hill site was a nursery, once owned by Thomas Blaikie, who planted many of the great French parks such as ‘La Bagatelle’. It was on this site that two nurserymen raised the famous apple cultivars ‘John Downie’ and ‘James Grieve’. Today, the Zoo boasts one of the most diverse tree collections in the Lothians with some 120 species. The unique south facing aspect allows bananas to be grown outside. Increasingly, Zoo horticulture is seen as a discipline in its own right, with the focus on habitat creation within enclosures, food stuffs for the animals, and enrichment for both the animals and the visiting public.[7]

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Controversies

Organisations that remain critical of Edinburgh Zoo's work include the Animal Liberation Front, who have voiced their distaste for the quality of the enclosure that formerly housed Polar Bears.[31] The Born Free Foundation has also stated several times that the Zoo fails in its conservation work,[32] as well as opposing the Zoo's plans to house Elephants.[33]

Edinburgh Zoo received a public backlash on Twitter after the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) ordered the Zoo to cull three red river hog piglets after an unplanned birth. A protest took place under the #savethehogs tag on Thursday 3 February 2011.[34] The Twitter campaign was started by OneKind, with major support from Captive Animals Protection Society. On Friday 4 February 2011, it was announced that the #savethehogs campaign had been successful and the Zoo would attempt to re-home the piglets.[35]

Following various internal issues and allegations relating to senior staff, the Zoo was subject to investigations relating to its charitable status. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) held an inquiry into the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and one director was fired while two others were suspended.[36][37] The Zoo suspended its chief operating officer and acting chief executive Gary Wilson while it investigated allegations made against him. [38]

In July 2011, the Zoo's monkey house had to be closed after a Gelada escaped from its enclosure. The animal vaulted an electric fence as it tried to escape whilst visitors looked on.[39][40]

The Zoo also came under criticism for plans to charge £20 per person for visitors to watch the necropsy of an animal.[41] A OneKind spokesman criticised the idea, largely due to the timing of the event, which was scheduled to take place two months after the Zoo announced a £2 million loss in profits, making the necropsy seem like a "Money-making drive".[42]

In February 2012, the Zoo was told to conduct a full review of its financial controls following an inquiry into complaints about how the Zoo was run in 2011. The report by the OSCR cleared the Zoo of misconduct but found "areas of governance that could be improved".[43]

In May 2012, several hundred zoo visitors were forced to seek shelter after a family of hogs escaped from keepers and ran amok. Those who had taken refuge in the monkey house later described scenes where zoo workers pursued the animals with various equipment including brushes and dart guns. Though the drama lasted over an hour, the adult hogs were recaptured unharmed.[44]

On 22 August 2012 a rare Scarlet Ibis escaped from the Zoo and went the loose in the city after a squirrel had chewed a hole in the netting at the top of its cage. Keepers noticed it was missing and later that day it was spotted more than 3 miles away in Dundas Street, near the city centre.[45] The ibis was missing for nearly a week before being recaptured four miles from the zoo.[44]

In September 2012 Zoo customers were herded indoors when a Heck bull escaped from its enclosure. The 600 kg animal with three feet long horns was loose for over 40 minutes, until zoo workers and vets managed to restrain him by using tranquiliser darts.[44]

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References

  1. ^ a b c "Zoo Beginnings". Edinburgh Zoo. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-15. 
  2. ^ "Edinburgh Zoo Animal Inventory". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. p. 4. Retrieved 2012-04-03. 
  3. ^ "BIAZA Zoos and Aquariums". biaza.org.uk. BIAZA. Retrieved 3 April 2012. 
  4. ^ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. EAZA. Retrieved 3 April 2012. 
  5. ^ "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved 3 April 2012. 
  6. ^ "Animals & Conservation". Edinburgh Zoo. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  7. ^ a b "Beavers". RZSS. Retrieved 2008-08-14. [dead link]
  8. ^ "Review of Edinburgh Zoo". goodzoos.com. 1992. Retrieved 2007-06-15. 
  9. ^ "Design of the Zoo". Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
  10. ^ a b "History of the Zoo". Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 2008-08-14. 
  11. ^ Obituary of Mr. Gilbert Fisher, The Scotsman, 15 July 1985, p.2.
  12. ^ "Highland Wildlife Park Trips". Edinburgh Zoo. Archived from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
  13. ^ "Support the Zoo". Edinburgh Zoo. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  14. ^ "Budongo Trail". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  15. ^ "Edinburgh Zoo". giantpandazoo.com. GiantPandZoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  16. ^ "Giant Pandas". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  17. ^ "Brilliant Birds". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  18. ^ "Queensland Koala". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  19. ^ "Animal Antics". edinburghzoo.org.uk. Edinburgh Zoo. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  20. ^ "Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear'". BBC News. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2008-01-25. 
  21. ^ "Penguin picks up military honour". BBC News. 2001-08-17. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  22. ^ "Military penguin becomes a 'Sir'". BBC News. 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2008-07-14. 
  23. ^ http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/SnippetAccess.aspx?id=349&pid=79&pageIndex=4
  24. ^ "Budongo Conservation Field Station". Budongo Conservation Field Station. Retrieved 2008-07-07. 
  25. ^ Mike Wade, Zoos are best hope, says Jane Goodall. The Times, 20 May 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  26. ^ "BBC NEWS | Scotland | Island's cull targets brown rats". News.bbc.co.uk. 2006-01-14. Retrieved 2008-09-07. 
  27. ^ "Rat free declaration for Island". BBC. 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-08-14. 
  28. ^ "BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow and West | Rare mice returned to island home". News.bbc.co.uk. Last Updated:. Retrieved 2008-09-07. 
  29. ^ "Beavers". RZSS. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  30. ^ "Animal activists in terror threat against zoo". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. 2005-08-29. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  31. ^ "Zoos 'failing' over work in wild". BBC News. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2008-01-04. 
  32. ^ Emslie, Katie (2006-03-24). "Elephant plans 'a big mistake'". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  33. ^ Raimes, Victoria (2011-02-02). "Three little pigs face chop in breeding row". The Scotsman (Edinburgh). 
  34. ^ Raimes, Victoria (2011-02-03). "Zoo piglets' bacon saved after protest". The Scotsman (Edinburgh). Retrieved 2011-07-23. 
  35. ^ Brian Donnelly Exclusive (2011-05-06). "Watchdog to investigate crisis-hit zoo - Herald Scotland | News | Home News". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  36. ^ "BBC News - Edinburgh Zoo investigated by charity watchdog". bbc.co.uk. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  37. ^ "BBC News - Edinburgh Zoo chief executive Gary Wilson suspended". bbc.co.uk. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  38. ^ "Monkey business: Escaped primate leads keepers on a chase through the zoo | Edinburgh News | STV Local". Local.stv.tv. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  39. ^ "Baboon leaps over monkey house fence - Edinburgh Evening News". Edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  40. ^ "Edinburgh Zoo condemned for planning live autopsy of animal | Edinburgh News | STV Local". Local.stv.tv. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  41. ^ "Anger at zoo's 'ghoulish' autopsy show". scotsman.com. 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2011-11-17. 
  42. ^ "BBC News - Call for review into Edinburgh Zoo financial controls". bbc.co.uk. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-02-15. 
  43. ^ a b c http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19470677
  44. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19346665
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Last modified on 15 May 2013, at 10:44