I suspect it will mainly depend on two factors, good summer weather and the value of the pound (a weak £ would mean more foreign visitors to the UK and fewer Brits going abroad, which would both tend to bring in more zoo visitors).
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion, Speculation & Questions 2018
- Thread starter JoeDK14
- Start date
I agree, but think the zoo needs some new keystone species to take it to the next level.
All recent and upcoming work, although of a very high standard and quality is for new or upgraded enclosures for exhausting animals. The Gorillas will help, but a few others would boost it too.
All recent and upcoming work, although of a very high standard and quality is for new or upgraded enclosures for exhausting animals. The Gorillas will help, but a few others would boost it too.
Welsh Zootographer
Well-Known Member
Almost sure I saw them there late 80s/early 90s, when they had a number of smaller cat species.
I genuinely thought they would crack 2 million in 2017, with so many high profile animal births and their ongoing TV presence on Secret Life... as that didn't happen I'm unsure when it will. I wouldn't be completely surprised if it happened this year, but at the same time feel that the best chance of it happening has passed now, and may not come up again until something pretty major occurs.
Apparently they left in 1986, before I was born.
They were kept in one of the larger enclosures on the small cat side of old Cat House: more or less where the crazy golf is now.
Talking about the golf course, does anyone have any idea what the new planned exhibit there will be? I'm thinking maybe an enclosure for the muntjacs. Maybe even the red pandas could be getting a new exhibit considering they are probably quite a popular species all the way on the other side of the zoo from the entrance.
They were kept in one of the larger enclosures on the small cat side of old Cat House: more or less where the crazy golf is now.
Absolutely stunning animal and a beautiful photograph.
I didn't know the golf was going.
Tho k a big factor will be the weather, if the zoo has good luck with the weather on the school holidays and bank holidays, would make a big difference compared to last year.
I think they will break 2 million visitors in the next 2 years but only if they bring in new species that are rare in the UK.
We all know I'm a bird lover but can't see Chester bringing in many rare species of birds (info picked up at Bird Sales) in the next couple of years.
We all know I'm a bird lover but can't see Chester bringing in many rare species of birds (info picked up at Bird Sales) in the next couple of years.
Quite simply for Chester to hit there two millions visitor mark they 100% need either a large new exhibit for a well know species for example gorillas,sea lions,different bears or they need more ABC births like the bears, lions ( very unlikely) and elephants. They also need to show these well on SLOTZ because that again will draw major attention
Whilst it would be nice for Chester to hit the 2 million mark I wonder how fussed they are about specific targets in the short term? The extra visitors might add such strains (and potential extra costs) to the infrastructure and facilities it's not worth the financial effort. I'm sure they'll survive and thrive nicely on current visitor levels. 
Just watched the Channel 4 documentary 'Britain's Polar Bear Cub', at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park (Still available on Sky catch-up) great because I love Polar Bears and great too because as a documentary it's more adult and less anthropomorphic than 'Secret Life at the Zoo' AND programme makers don't feel the need to film keepers in such extreme close up that you can see what's up inside their nostrils!
It is a real shame that Chester has no plans for larger bears. Certainly they have the capacity to house them and should not judge this against the standards of the 1952 Polar Bear 'pit'. Or the 1958 Brown Bear 'bridge pit'.
There are modern, fantastic, spacious and natural Polar Bear enclosures at the Highland Wildlife Park and also at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Chester's Sun bear enclosure is a step in the right direction, but still not ideal. Visitors can usually see the Sun Bears. Chester's Spectacled / Andean Bear enclosure is awful. The chances of a non-member, a day visitor actually seeing them is next to nil [a distinction historically only reserved at Chester for the Beavers and the Skunk] [& the echidna when housed in the Tropical House]. The Chester Spectacled Bear enclosure has been designed with no consideration what so ever for the visitor. In contrast the enclosure at Belfast zoo is excellent, affords visitors uninterrupted views and affords the Spectacled Bears there their privacy too, conditions conducive to breeding, they had a cub at Belfast before Chester, hence Chester marketing their birth as 'First on the UK mainland', rather than 'First in the UK'.
Dudley Zoo will be getting Brown Bears again very soon, they will be easy to see in the renovated 'Tecton' exhibit.
It's high time Chester housed large bears again, imagine what a fantastic draw they would be, certainly tip visitor numbers over 2 Million!
It is a real shame that Chester has no plans for larger bears. Certainly they have the capacity to house them and should not judge this against the standards of the 1952 Polar Bear 'pit'. Or the 1958 Brown Bear 'bridge pit'.
There are modern, fantastic, spacious and natural Polar Bear enclosures at the Highland Wildlife Park and also at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Chester's Sun bear enclosure is a step in the right direction, but still not ideal. Visitors can usually see the Sun Bears. Chester's Spectacled / Andean Bear enclosure is awful. The chances of a non-member, a day visitor actually seeing them is next to nil [a distinction historically only reserved at Chester for the Beavers and the Skunk] [& the echidna when housed in the Tropical House]. The Chester Spectacled Bear enclosure has been designed with no consideration what so ever for the visitor. In contrast the enclosure at Belfast zoo is excellent, affords visitors uninterrupted views and affords the Spectacled Bears there their privacy too, conditions conducive to breeding, they had a cub at Belfast before Chester, hence Chester marketing their birth as 'First on the UK mainland', rather than 'First in the UK'.
Dudley Zoo will be getting Brown Bears again very soon, they will be easy to see in the renovated 'Tecton' exhibit.
It's high time Chester housed large bears again, imagine what a fantastic draw they would be, certainly tip visitor numbers over 2 Million!
taun
Well-Known Member
Maybe they should just stuff the bears and add some mechanical aspect and put them right in front of you?
It is NOT awful, it is a very good enclosure and much better than any Andean bear enclosure that i have seen. Just because you cannot see the bears easily does not make it an awful enclosure.