BeakerUK
Well-Known Member
And then you can get me a job leading their education team!
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion, Speculation & Questions 2018
- Thread starter JoeDK14
- Start date
Not unrealistic at all - jobs in this area do seem to come up. It’s quite surprising and refreshing how much variety there is within the posts they advertise. Almost something for everyone.
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I think you’d also be quite hard pressed to find any horticulture, animal husbandry or conservation jobs that pay much better than these jobs at Chester Zoo. They are pretty much at the very top of their game.
Whereas in marketing, retail, HR, administration and middle-management, their salaries aren’t quite as competitive compared to what can be found outside of the Zoological sector. But still, for within the sector I’m yet to find any that can beat them. They are definitely the best in that respect.
Whereas in marketing, retail, HR, administration and middle-management, their salaries aren’t quite as competitive compared to what can be found outside of the Zoological sector. But still, for within the sector I’m yet to find any that can beat them. They are definitely the best in that respect.
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If you get chance of any info or pics of the enclosure that's meant to be housing Pallas Cats (old Serval enclosure I think?) then that would be cool. Also I'd be interested to know what, if anything, is currently in the old Galapogos Tortoise enclosure in the Tropical Realm.
Main request though - enjoy your day!
OOOOH! That is very exciting news! Any idea on when they arrived, where from etc? Presumably the zoo will be making an announcement once they're settled in and visible - they seemed to be very popular on the BBC1 'Big Cats' series earlier in the year so will hopefully attract a fair bit of interest.
Conversely, even though the zoo has continued to grow, it could be suggested that the shrinking horticultural staff and relatively static number of keepers isn't such a good thing.
Visited today, no sign of the Pallas Cat in the enclosure, however it seems to be practically ready for them.
Three Cheetah’s we’re together so I’m guessing these are the males.
I spoke to one of the rhino keepers who confirmed that they currently have 11 rhino in their care but didn’t mention the amount of males,females,young.
All the Sumatran orangs were out in the enclosure nearest the sun bears and opposite the tapirs.
Binturong were out in house and we’re very active, as we’re BOTH sun bears.
A lion keeper told us that they have begun to see lots more positive breeding behaviour from iblis towards kumari since that addition of carcasses tied to trees within the enclosure.
Radiated tortoises were being observed for research however didn’t specify what the research was about.
Got a few questions now which I hope can be answered on here:
How many cheetahs have they got and what is the ratio of males to females.
Why is Bernie still in SOTJ. I thought he would of been back with the Lima and the cub.
What will the savannah side of SOTJ be used for when Bernie does eventually move back.
Apologies for the long post.
Three Cheetah’s we’re together so I’m guessing these are the males.
I spoke to one of the rhino keepers who confirmed that they currently have 11 rhino in their care but didn’t mention the amount of males,females,young.
All the Sumatran orangs were out in the enclosure nearest the sun bears and opposite the tapirs.
Binturong were out in house and we’re very active, as we’re BOTH sun bears.
A lion keeper told us that they have begun to see lots more positive breeding behaviour from iblis towards kumari since that addition of carcasses tied to trees within the enclosure.
Radiated tortoises were being observed for research however didn’t specify what the research was about.
Got a few questions now which I hope can be answered on here:
How many cheetahs have they got and what is the ratio of males to females.
Why is Bernie still in SOTJ. I thought he would of been back with the Lima and the cub.
What will the savannah side of SOTJ be used for when Bernie does eventually move back.
Apologies for the long post.
They have taken out a lot of the decorative bedding which was a feature in my childhood which has presumably reduced the need for teams of gardeners planting, weeding and then digging out bedding.
The reduction in the variety of the collection probably allows some reduction in keeping staff.
I suppose the sad truth is that spending money on gardens doesn't really have an obvious financial return - most punters are far more likely to be interested in play areas, whilst additional staff manning kiosks and shops instead brings in a secondary spend. So if they can cut back a bit on the gardening side, then it leaves money available for more staff in other areas. Its a bit of a shame but quite understandable.
Is your comment about variety in the collection referring to the animals? I actually think the collection has improved hugely in the last 5-10 years, but appreciate that is more about my individual taste in species: Sun Bears, Aye-Ayes, Javan Green Magpies, Pallas Cats and Belted Ruffed Lemurs are all VERY nice additions. I know some here miss things like venomous snakes but I think what has come is generally better than what has been lost, but again, its a matter of opinion.
Bristol Zoo was exactly the same. The gardening team seemed almost as big as the keeping staff in the 'old days'...
I guess at Chester as well as the change in horticulture style, play areas have replaced some of the planted areas too, but at the same time 'Islands' has opened up a new area for planting/gardening care instead.
Actually, planting was a collaborative effort, it was undertaken by rangers, keepers and all sorts of people. The horticulture is not just about bedding though, throughout the zoo it is far less diverse than it once was.
As for numbers, one only has to look at an old annual report to see how many keepers and gardeners there were vs. the present day vs. size of the zoo.
Edit: incidentally, it occurs somewhat ironic we're having this discussion after the recent one about "overgrown" enclosures and stand-offs, which are largely no longer the responsibility of the horticultural team at all.
This was my thought, too.