Its been 3 or 4 years since I was last at Dudley. Overall I thought
many of the new developments are really tasteful and well designed but,
by contrast, the more historic portions of the zoo are looking more
derelict and uncared for as ever.

New exhibits over recent years and since my last visit:

1) Yellow Mongooses. These are exhibited in the base of what was once a
primate cage (which held over the years Mandrill, Celebes Macaques and
Black Spider Monkeys amongts many other species I'm sure. The caging
has been removed and a low solid barrier errected with wide glass
viewing panes. The old monkey house still remains.

2) Walk-through Lemur enclosure which was formerly a waterfowl area.
This exhbit works well as although it is densely planted and furnished
the animals show themselves well. The species consist of groups of
Black and White Ruffed, Ring-tailed and Collared Lemurs and 0.2 Black
Lemurs. Apparently the Collared male has been seen mating the Black
females.

3) Walk-through Wallaby enclosure. This replaces the hot-wired Ring-
tailed Lemur pen on the site of the old elephant paddock. I never
thought the lemurs really fitted well here but, oddly, I think the
wallabys do. A simple but effective exhibit. A basic wooden barrier
keeps the public from straying onto the lawn where the Red-necked
Wallaby's graze.

4) Hot-wired enclosures for primates. There are two open hot-wired
enclosures for the Celebes Macaques and the Black Spider Monkeys just
beyond the flamingo pool inside the entrance (a new group of young
flamingos seems to have been installed as I noticed only one adult).
The Macaques' previous enclosure (the old hippo house etc) now houses
Lar Gibbons. This arrangement works wery well and the gibbons show
themselves to full effect in the copper beech trees.

5) Redesigned Tropical House. This is in my opinion the best part of
today's Dudley Zoo. It such a shame that this is only an experiment for
a future development (this area of the zoo is shortly to be sold off
for housing). The old tropical house never really worked very well but
now, under the title of "Monkey Tails" (which wouldn't have been my
first choise I must admit), it combines a walk-through primate exhibit
with several smaller, non-contact, exhibits. As well as 4 male Common
Squirrel Monkeys (there is also a single Black-capped in the Monkey
House by the way), there are Goeldie's Monkeys too. Of the tropical
birds that used to inhabit the building, several Speckled Pigeons could
not be caught and so have been left in with the monkeys. They have so
far remained unmolested (not that the Squirrel Monkeys haven't tried).
The other exhibits consist of Pygmy Mongoose in a sandy, glass-sided
pen, Oriental Shrt-clawed Otters in the old Koi pond and large but more
traditional vivarium for a pair of very impressive White-throated
Monitors (which, I believe, came from Drayton Manor). Well done on this
exhibit Dudley.

Was pleased to see that the very decrepit aviaries near the entrance
have been replaced even if the species they contain are uninspired.

I was sorry to see that the ghastly Dr Dudley is still practicing. Good
sound information though and delivered in an enthusiastic way.

Didn't see any Arabian Gazelles. Parma Wallaby's occupy their old pen
and I didn't notice any in the Giraffe paddock either.

The numbers in the Barbary Sheep herd seem to go up and down like a
yoyo. There were around 15, up from about 5 last time.

Sadly, I didn't see any bears. Anyone know if there are any still here
and, if so, how many?

If the zoo's plans go ahead, selling off a portion of land will release
about £9 million. There is a vague master plan only the new orangutan
house of which seems to have been seriously penciled in. This will be
taking up much of the original Lubetkin bear complex. It was reassuring
to hear that the zoo will be appreciating this old arcitecture as an
asset. In this particular case Chimps will occupy the current Tiger pit
as an outside enclosure whilst the orangs will have the old Polar Bear
pit roofed over as indoor quarters and the current Asiatic Black Bear
pit as an outside. Public will be able to view the animals from a
walkway through the current dens beneath the present public viewing
area.

Some of the other ideas for the new Dudley Zoo are not quite to my
tastes but on the whole it is good to hear that someone at Dudley cares
and that the zoo will see an invigoration providing the sale of land is
finalised. But this hanging-in-the-balance has been going on for so
long that, hating to sound pessemistic, I'll believe it when I see it.

Watch this space.