Operation 'Pen-Pals'

Jasiri and Josie, soon to be together

Our lions, Jasiri and Josie, have been getting used to each other as close neighbours since Christmas. This summer you can help us bring them together for the first time. However, with large territorial predators this is a delicate, challenging operation. 

The male lion, Jasiri arrived from Newquay Zoo just before last Christmas. He moved into the large enclosure next to the female, Josie, following the sad loss of Tasmin our much loved Amur Tiger.

He made himself at home very quickly and started to get to know his new neighbour across the ten meter divide between their enclosures. Even at this considerable distance the delicate process of introduction was underway.

At first, Josie was very cautious and kept her distance. Within a few days she became curious, spending more time observing the new male who by then had begun to make his presence known to her, and anyone within the five kilometer range of his impressive roar.

In the intervening time it has become commonplace to find them each sitting calmly at their respective boundaries, pointedly ignoring the other. And that's a good sign.

It has always been the plan to bring the two together in Josie's enclosure, but this is by no means as simple as it sounds. African Lions, both male and female, are fiercely territorial. Once they have laid claim to a patch of land any interloper can expect a serious challenge. In the wild, encounters such as this are a matter of life and death. Without careful management, it can be the same in captivity.

Jasiri and Josie like to keep an eye on each other

With the Operation 'Pen-Pals' project, we can allow Jasiri and Josie to go through the natural process of integration, during which they will 'negotiate' acceptable terms for cohabitation, whilst keeping the friction and stress to an absolute minimum. 

By building a strong connecting pen between the two enclosures we can effectively bridge the ten meter gap and bring the two lions face-to-face for the first time. Here they will be free to snarl and spit and roar and claw at each other on either side of the security mesh, thereby keeping the physical consequences of such behaviour to a minimum.

By alternating which of the two has sole access to the connecting pen, over time they should also begin the recognise the pen as a 'no man's land' over which neither has exclusive domain.

During this process, which will last as long as the lions deem it necessary, the keepers will be able to closely monitor the way they react to each other. We should expect negotiations to resolve to a tense but largely peaceful detente.

The next stage will see Jasiri and Josie in the connecting pen together. Being a relatively small space compared to the main enclosures, it will afford keeping staff the opportunity to safely intervene from outside the pen if the encounter becomes too physical. This will usually involve nothing more serious than a CO2 fire extinguisher.  

Ultimately, the whole process will end with Jasiri and Josie sharing what is currently Josie's enclosure as cooperative companions.

The Grow for Good team clearing the space for work to begin

But that's not the end of the project. Once the integration is complete Jasiri's enclosure will be free to accommodate another big cat species. We have a number of suitable occupants in mind and conversations with other collections continue. Whoever takes up residence will play a major role in our ongoing conservation work.

What's more, the pen between the two enclosures will also serve as an ideal 'cubbing pen' into the future, enabling us to participate fully in managed breeding programmes for endangered species.

We have diverted some funds from our day-to-day operational budgets to get this important project underway, but we'll need your help to drive it to completion this summer.

By making a contribution, however large or small, you'll be enriching the daily lives of these magnificent animals who, merely by their presence here, have already given great joy to thousands of visitors. You'll also be helping us to further improve our big cat collection and fulfill our ongoing commitment to the conservation of these important species.

You can contribute via our secure donations platform below or, better still, visit the zoo, see Jasiri and Josie and talk to the staff.

Your support is vital, and very much appreciated.

Family planning for big cats

Senior Keeper, Kate Stone with Josie

A large part of being a zoo keeper is getting to know your animals. Being familiar with their individual personalities and their day-to-day behaviour is an essential part of good animal care since changes in their behaviour could indicate injury or illness. Often their behaviour can change according to their breeding cycle.

With some animals this change can be quite radical and potentially dangerous; a normally passive, cooperative reindeer can change into a real threat to safety overnight.

When it comes to the big cats they are never considered safe. Management is always a two-person job and we have strict safety protocols in place for even the most routine tasks.

As reported here by Senior Keeper, Hannah, we recently lost the pride of our collection, Solomon, the male African Lion. He shared his enclosure with his daughter, Josie so it was extremely important that we manage their ability to breed as well as the behavioural consequences of the breeding cycle.

We always knew when changes in the lions’ behaviour were related to breeding. They would both lose interest in food and for Solomon breeding was the one thing on his mind – he wouldn’t leave Josie alone! In the wild there is only one dominant male, he is top-dog, and the rewards for being the fittest and the strongest are the rights to breed with the females. Solomon was always top-dog.

During the breeding cycle Solomon would follow her around and stand over her whenever she lay down just in case another male wanted to mate with her, despite the fact that they were the only lions in the enclosure! In all his time here the nearest male lion was in Paignton Zoo but that didn’t stop Solomon performing in every respect like a dominant male with a territory and a female to protect.

For Josie the behaviour was a little different. First, she’d begin to flirt, which Solomon didn't seem to mind at all. However, after a while the honeymoon period would come to an end and she’d grow rapidly tired of Solomon’s attention. With Solomon being her constant shadow, she would become grumpy and irritable. This is very species-typical behaviour and in the wild it would usually lead to the pair losing all interest in food and instead spending several days together mating.

Since they were related, Josie was given a contraceptive implant which would have to be replaced every three years. The most recent replacement was on 30th November 2012.

The implant is injected just under the skin, a procedure that takes about 30 seconds. However, managing big cats is never that simple. Before we can get to that point there’s a whole lot of work to be done.

In order to get close enough to Josie to perform the procedure safely she must first be sedated inside her pen in the lion house. Once she was inside, Mike our Head Keeper, who is part of the firearms team, used the dart gun to deliver the anaesthetic. Putting animals under anaesthetic, especially big cats, is quite a risky business for both keepers and cat. When dealing with an animal that has three inch long sharp retractable claws and mighty jaws containing canine teeth four inches long, which they can open to 12 inches wide, safety is all important.

However, it’s also risky for the cat. She would have to be sedated enough to ensure she wouldn't wake up during the procedure, but not given so much that she might not wake up when given the reversal drugs. An average lioness can weigh between 110kg-140kg, animals Josie's size and bigger are not really designed to be knocked out, their body weight can be quite a strain when under the influence of anaesthetic.

To keep the procedure as stress free as possible, only Mike and our vet went into the house when they were ready to dart her. Everyone else waited outside being very quiet.

Once she was darted it took around 10 to 15 minutes for the drugs to take effect. To be sure that she was fully asleep the vet checked her for reactions. It was lucky that she had decided to lie down against the mesh of her pen so the vet could touch her easily whilst he stood safely in the keeper corridor of the house.

Once the vet was happy that she was fully sedated he could enter the pen to complete the procedure by injecting the contraceptive implant under the skin between her shoulder-blades.

After only a few minutes of full sedation she was given the reversal drugs by manual injection and within 20 minutes she was up and about in the house no doubt wondering what had happened.

After this kind of procedure it was crucial that Josie remained under observation to ensure that she recovered properly. One keeper stayed in the house making sure she was behaving as expected. Once everyone was happy that she was in good health she was let back out into the enclosure with Solomon.

For keepers participating in veterinary procedures like this is a huge perk of the job, and it's not every day you get to see something like this.

Kate Stone
Senior Keeper

Behind the scenes with the big cats

Behind the scenes with our Amur Tigers

One of the experiences we offer here at Dartmoor Zoo is being a Big Cat Keeper for the day, providing people with a chance to work alongside the keepers in the daily routine for the big cats. It’s an all-day, hands-on experience getting as close to the big cats as is possible to get without being eaten!

The day starts at 8am in the Jaguar Restaurant where participants meet the keepers they’ll be spending the day with. It’s a chance to have a cuppa and go through all the important health and safety briefing that is necessary for getting behind the scenes with the big carnivores.

Then it’s off to the keeper’s yard to prepare food for the morning feed. Most of the cats are fed every other day to approximate their natural feeding habits in the wild where not every hunt would be successful making daily feeding rare. In the wild, once a kill has been made they would eat until they are fit to burst then rest for two to three days conserving energy for the next hunt. Lions are known for sleeping around 20 out of 24 hours!

The morning round can take around two hours making sure all the animals are in their enclosures, they are healthy and showing normal behaviour. At each enclosure the keepers give the participants all the background information on the animals from a keeper’s point of view. They learn all about the individual animal’s personality and to how they would live in the wild.

One thing to bear in mind when doing an experience like this is that it’s quite common to come into contact with poo, which can be a bit stinky! Also, dealing with large carnivores means dealing with large amounts of raw meat and, when the feeding is done, lots of bones.

The highlight of the day is assisting with the big cat talk for members of the public to watch in the afternoon. Participants help the keepers put out the cats’ meat, clean their enclosure, (that’s where the poo and bones comes into it) then stand back and enjoy the public talk by the Presentation Team.

At the end of a long, often tiring day, you get to take home a certificate to say you did a Big Cat Experience at Dartmoor Zoo, as well as lots of photos and memories of getting up close and personal with our amazing cats. Oh, and don’t forget the lovely keepers!

This is one of our most popular experiences and it never fails to impress. You can find out more about our Big Cat Keeper for a Day experience and see what visitors have to say about it here.

Kate Stone
Senior Keeper

Farewell to Solomon

Solomon: 1995 - 2013

The life of a zoo keeper is full of amazing highs, and some terribly sad lows. Solomon has been part of, and responsible for, so many great memories for all of those who worked with him; his death at the beginning of February was heartbreaking.

Solomon was almost 18 years old, a good age for a male lion in captivity; except for a few minor illnesses, he had enjoyed a healthy life. Routine blood tests a few years ago indicated that his kidney function was deteriorating, so he was monitored closely but continued to enjoy life to the full. Then, in mid January, Solomon suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. In consultation with the vet, and after all potential treatments failed to improve his condition, it was decided that the kindest thing would be to put him to sleep.      

Solomon was 3 years old when he moved to Dartmoor in 1998. He was introduced to a female, Emma, and her daughter, Peggy. Emma was a large and confident lioness and, unusually for these big cats, she remained the dominant animal in the pride throughout her life. Solomon would be put in his place in no uncertain terms were he to question her authority! The lions used to be fed through a sort of meat ‘post box’; Sol would hide cautiously behind this and wait for Emma to take her piece and move away before eating his own. Peggy was gentler and it wasn’t long before Solomon became a father, siring several litters of cubs over the next few years including, of course, Josie.

After Emma’s death in 2007, a year after Peggy’s, Solomon grew rapidly into his position as top cat and relished his new place as head of the family. He would still have to watch his meat though; any opportunity to steal a snack and Josie would be there!

Solomon was a very vocal lion, roaring several times each day and always when he’d just been fed. He definitely appreciated the sound of his own voice and over the years we watched him master the art of roaring whilst keeping hold of his meat in his mouth! Sol actually had a love of making any loud noise. He would pound on the feeding hatch which, over the years, caused so much damage it eventually had to be removed! Solomon would also thump repetitively on the door to his house if the keepers were inside cleaning. This gave the door an unusual polish but eventually he bent it out of shape, and it was replaced with a mesh hatch! Still determined to make his presence felt, when shut in prior to feeding during his later years, he would pummel the floor with alternate feet – he even taught his daughter this one!

Solomon, rising to the challenge

Like any lion, Solomon spent countless hours sleeping but he enjoyed the different enrichment items we provided and particularly liked different smells, which encouraged him to scent mark. Solomon was actually quite nervous of new things and situations so we always took care to introduce anything unfamiliar gradually. He was more courageous when food was available. He once climbed much higher than we ever imagined; to reach some meat that had been placed high up in the trees for Josie. He then leapt head first 12 feet to the ground while the gathered crowd let out an almighty gasp! Solomon also gave visitors a spectacular display whenever his meat was hung from the trees. 

All those who knew Solomon well, right through to those who met him just once, were impressed by his majestic looks, his strength and amazing power. What some people may not have realised is that, though there are many wonderful words we can use to describe Solomon, intelligent probably shouldn’t be one of them! This is well illustrated by one of the very first things I was taught about looking after him. ‘If you need to get Sol in quickly for any reason, and you don’t have any meat close at hand, put a log in his house’. This, I was told, he would mistake for meat and walk straight in.  He did, and not just once or twice, but repeatedly, and over many years!  

Solomon and Josie; happy cats

Certain animals, in any zoo, will have such beauty, presence and personality that they become a favourite with many staff and visitors alike. Solomon definitely lived in this category; past and present keepers all found him nothing but a joy to care for, and hundreds of visitors have spoken of him with great wonder and admiration. Solomon leaves two sons and a daughter in other zoos, as well as Josie here at Dartmoor. The two grew ever closer, Josie keeping Sol young with her fun and games and Dad generally obliging and joining in. She will miss him as do we, he will never be forgotten. 

Solomon: an unforgettable lion, an unforgettable life.

Hannah Webb

Senior Keeper

Boxing Day Photos

I did create a lovely slideshow for this but have experienced the usual technical problems with blogger! Anyway, as you can see our animals enjoyed their festive enrichment.

Boxing Day Bash!

Boxing Day is always a hightlight of the DZP calender. For those of you yet to visit on 26th December, the day is full of festive fun for our animals. We always receive lots of positive comments from our visitors who enjoy watching the animals' experience of Christmas. Well, this year is no exception and we have an exciting programme of events for the day.


11.00 The vervet monkeys have their Christmas party with crackers and presents

12.00 The bears enjoy their Christmas Dinner

2.00 The lions open their stockings
Followed by the tigers unwrapping their Christmas presents

2.45 A chance to meet and greet our reindeer: Donna, Comet and Blitzen

3.15 The otters recieve their Christmas gifts

With the exception of the reindeer meet and greet, each activity will be accompanied by a talk from a member of our education department. We hope you will be able to come and join us.

Josie's Birthday Video

It has only taken a little over two months! Finally I've been able to upload this onto the blog. I hope it is worth the wait.

Video update

You may remember in an earlier blog I explained that we were having some difficulties uploading videos onto this site. As it turns out, Blogger has been experiencing technical problems and the only answer seems to be plenty of patience and persistance! Unfortunately I am still unable to upload Josie's Birthday Party video but the service has begun to accept some of our other enrichment videos. These will be posted whenever possible! The first is below and shows Tazmin, our 13 year old Amur tigress. When she lived at Tiger Rock, Taz would often cool off in the moat up there; however, since her move to Tiger Ridge a year ago, the keepers haven't seen her using the pool in this enclosure at all. In an attempt to encourage her into the water we made a raft, chained it to two breeze blocks at the bottom of the pool and placed some of her meat onto it when she was fed. For several weeks we would return later in the day to find the meat gone so hoped for the best; then the following footage was taken.

Unfortunately, as can be seen in the clip below, Tazmin cleverly manages to keep her paws largely dry as she stretches and swipes to reach her meat. We have since tried lowering the level of the water and the raft whenever we clean the pool but so far she always finds a way to get the food - even if we use many small peices instead! There is a large boulder in one corner which would allow Taz to step down into the pool gradually but she remains unconvinced. Having said that, it is only quite recently that Vlad, Blotch and Stripe have started using the moat at Tiger Rock, and of course they moved at the same time as Tazmin. Perhaps she just needs a little more time...

Solomon steals the limelight at Josie's party

On Saturday we celebrated our lioness Josie's 9th birthday. As explained in a previous blog we threw her a party with lots of enrichment. Josie and her father Solomon had their meat cut into small peices and hidden in hessian sacks with straw (one of which we hung from a tree). It was also concealed in birthday boxes and tubes, these are just cardboard but covered in colourful wrapping paper. We also gave them the hanging boomer ball and stuffed meat behind the fire hose straps (see previous blog for further details). Finally the lions had ginger, thyme, and Josie's personal favourite, catnip, scented in their enclosure.

Josie was quick to demolish the boxes and the hessian sack but Solomon amazed the watching crowd as he swung off the hanging sack and tore it down. He spent a lot of time getting the meat from the hanging boomer ball; using his great weight and strength he even managed to pop it out of the sling. He looked puzzled as it bounced down the enclosure, but was later seen rolling it around on the ground. This design will need adapting before it is given to our tigers next!

We have made a short video which we had hoped to include below, however numerous technical issues currently prevent this! We hope that in time videos will become regular features of the blog. Come back to the blog soon if you were unable to visit on Saturday, hopefully you will enjoy a few clips from the afternoon.

Josie's Birthday Bash

Our beautiful lioness Josie will be 9 years old on Saturday 29th August and the keepers are already busy planning her party! On the afternoon of her birthday we will be giving our lions lots of enrichment. We are letting you know in plenty of time so that you can come and watch Josie, and her father Solomon, receiving the presents. So, what do you get a lioness for her birthday? Well, a party is not a party without food! It will be a feed day for the lions but their meat will be hidden around the enclosure and inside some of the enrichment items. This is going to include birthday cardboard boxes, hanging hessian sacks, boomer balls and scents. In addition they will each be given a birthday bloodberg. This is the big cat alternative to chocolate cake!

Josie was born at Dartmoor Zoo in 2000 and grew up in a pride of 4 lions, with her parents Peggy and Solomon, and maternal grandmother Emma. Unfortunately Peggy died of lung cancer in 2006 and old age caught up with a 20 year old Emma in 2007. Solomon however, now 14, is still Josie's companion and, as he has been vasectomised, there is no danger of them breeding. Josie is a very cheeky, playful and agile girl; we are looking forward to celebrating her special day and hope there will be plenty of people in fine voice to sing Happy Birthday to her!