Tombe
Well-Known Member
They're at port lympe
Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2022
- Thread starter DesertRhino150
- Start date
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
IMPROTANT MAINTENANCE WORK | Colchester Zoo (colchester-zoo.com)
Colchester Zoo have posted about important maintenance work that will take place in the lead up to the Easter break. This includes upgrades to toilets (Playa Patagonia and Kalahari Theatre toilets will be closed from Monday 21st February), the old Patas Monkey walkway will remain closed while they continue with improvements to the Pygmy Hippo's outdoor area, the Hyenas viewing areas are being improved and upgraded from wooden frames to glass panels, and the Discovery Centre has moved to inside the Elephant Kingdom building.
Colchester Zoo have posted about important maintenance work that will take place in the lead up to the Easter break. This includes upgrades to toilets (Playa Patagonia and Kalahari Theatre toilets will be closed from Monday 21st February), the old Patas Monkey walkway will remain closed while they continue with improvements to the Pygmy Hippo's outdoor area, the Hyenas viewing areas are being improved and upgraded from wooden frames to glass panels, and the Discovery Centre has moved to inside the Elephant Kingdom building.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
This may not be the right thread to talk about this stuff in, sorry for any inconveniences.
Referring to the first point I think I remember visiting around the time when this post I am quoting was posted in August 2019, (obviously I didn't know about zoochat then despite having been obsessed with Colchester zoo possibly for about a year prior) I think I remember noticing this change with the elephants and mentioning it to my grandparents/parents. I hope more progression is made with the elephants as they (individuals, enclosure, history, culture) are probably my favourite group of animals in the zoo. I think the history of their group and enclosure is what made me love them after reading "The Story of Colchester Zoo". This is probably also why I liked Whipsnade so much when I visited in I think around May 2019- maybe Easter Holiday.
Of course referring to the second point in the above quote I can't wait for the pygmy hippo outdoor development to be finished, though I love the history and feel of Kingdom of The Wild and Elephant Kingdom so it will be sad to see the Patas outdoor section go, but I believe it will be worthwhile.
I have been wondering about the Sun Bears Srey Ya and Jo-Jo on the topic of them breeding since my obsession began so this explains some thoughts. I wonder if splitting them up and reuniting them like Chester did might positively effect the situation. On the topic of Sun Bears, despite having visited regularly for many years I don't remember seeing them in their on show indoor enclosure at all..... Is this the situation for anyone else?
Anyway sorry if this post offends anyone or cause any inconveniences, I just felt like I had a few points worth making.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
We're All Ears | Colchester Zoo (colchester-zoo.com)
Colchester Zoo have made a news post on their website (and Instagram) about African elephant keeper Claire Bennett and how she feels about working with the species. "Our African elephant zoo keeper, Claire Bennett, tells us why she loves working with our incredible elephants and the importance of the ensuring the conservation of this species." - a quote from the zoos Instagram. She mentioned among other things that the favourite individual she has worked with is Jambo, who now resides at Bioparc Valencia.
Colchester Zoo have made a news post on their website (and Instagram) about African elephant keeper Claire Bennett and how she feels about working with the species. "Our African elephant zoo keeper, Claire Bennett, tells us why she loves working with our incredible elephants and the importance of the ensuring the conservation of this species." - a quote from the zoos Instagram. She mentioned among other things that the favourite individual she has worked with is Jambo, who now resides at Bioparc Valencia.
Considering they were confiscated as cubs, I’m wondering how well socialised they’ve been. Have they been observed mating? If not, one or both could be behavioural non breeders.
They should still breed with each other if kept together permanently. Wellington Zoo imported a young (mother raised pair) in 1992 that lived together full time and mated every year from 1993 onwards. The female had five cubs between 1996-1998, but they all died. The primary reason was believed to be a lack of privacy, so she was given her own off display exhibit which led to success.
Even if successful mating occurs, Colchester would need to provide Srey Ya with total privacy i.e. isolating her from the male and closing her exhibit. At a stretch, the off display den might cut it.
Break up the pair and sent either one or other to another zoo in an exchange deal.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
From what it says in "The Story of Colchester Zoo", it sounds like the facilities in Bears of The Rising Sun should not be a barrier to cubs being successfully produced, however knowledge may have changed since then. Despite this I don't recall ever seeing the bears in their on show indoor enclosure. I am on my way to visiting now though so I might be able to find out about this and many other topics today.
Colonel Tom is at Wingham Wildlife Park.
To my knowledge, the female cubs are still at Colchester.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I think I can confirm this, I saw all 4 females today,
They have 2 males- brothers Abasi and Azizi I believe who arrived a few years ago ( Abasi dad to the cubs), an adult female-Sia (mother to the cubs) and out of the 5 cubs who were born in April 2020, 1 male died before the cubs were named, male Colonel Tom has moved to Wingham Wildlife Park (as mentioned above), and females Nova, Hope, and Star I believe still live at Colchester. This is backed up as I visited today and saw 4 cheetahs in the main outdoor enclosure, this would make sense to have been- Sia, Nova, Hope, Star.
The Male Amur Tiger cubs born in 2019, Mischa and Pasha, have moved to Port Lympe to join their 2 young females (the female cub Tatana still at Colchester).
The male Amur Leopard cub born in 2019, Luka, has moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary fairly recently (the female cub Lena still at Colchester).
Hope this helps!
2.5 years on from the elephant breeding attempts, no pregnancies have resulted and given the gaps since the cows last births, I don’t hold out any hope they will (Tanya - 2001, Opal - 2010, Zola - 2011).
Opal was their best chance, having given birth nine years prior to those introductions (albeit to a stillborn calf); while I don’t know why they thought Zola, who’s had four stillborn calves would experience success so many years later.
The African elephants are an iconic species at Colchester, but I think it’s time to accept the inevitable - whether that’s adding in new cows for breeding; or maintaining a non breeding herd as they’ve done by circumstance for the last decade.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I mentioned in the "Colchester Zoo Elephant Program" thread (it might be useful for you to look at this) on the 18th October last year that when I was talking to the lady doing my Giraffe Keeper Shadowing experience she mentioned that they did have plans to get new elephants in/generally make progression with the breeding programme at Elephant Kingdom but these plans were halted by Covid. Talking about their current individuals, Zola only mated naturally and still lives with Tembo so I assume it was a close bond between the pair that resulted in Zola's 4 pregnancies. Tanya and Opal only had AI pregancies and 1 each. While Kito's father was Tembo as expected the father of Opal's calf was a bull named Jack (Jackson) who lives in the USA.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
Now Covid has settled down the new African Elephants will probably arrive this year. I wonder what new arrivals would mean for the current inhabitants? I wouldn't integrate new arrivals with Zola she is aggressive,anti -social and dislikes young Elephants and Calfs. I think Zola should be introduced to Shaka at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm. Their both aggressive and have interaction problems. To back up my point Shaka killed M'Changa a young Bull at Noah's.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I don't know if they have any plans set in stone yet, but best case scenario all of the current group will be able to stay here, or at least that is my opinion. Also something to bear in mind is that all 4 current individuals can't be together at the same time due to social issues.
All the more reason the inaction in changing the group composition should have been broken years ago.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@Rajang-GOAT it's a shame that the Colchester Elephants haven't had many Calfs. All of the Elephants are genetically precious. All 4 were Wild Born. Out of all of the Calfs born at Colchester only a couple of Males survived. These were Kito and Jambo. Tragically Kito died very young a few years ago,at a Zoo in the Cetz Republic. Jambo is almost 18 and yet to sire any Calfs. Jambo is at Bioparc Valencia in Spain but living solitary as Matla the Matriarch ousted him.
I think that Jambo should move to Colchester with a couple of the Bioparc Cowes. If West Midlands Safari Park still struggl to source Cowes,Five could complete the heard with Jambo and a couple of Bioparc Cowes. The only reason I am suggesting this is that a few years ago Colchester were considering welcoming Jambo back. Personally I think the best scenario for Jambo would be for him to reside at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
On a Colchester Zoo Facebook group (not official) someone mentioned that they could only see the male lion (Bailey) in the indoor area of Lion Rock when they visited today and they could not see the female (only Naja is/was remaining from when her and her sister Malika arrived with their cousin Bailey from Woburn in April 2010). Someone then replied and mentioned that they had asked and were told that the female (I believe Naja) passed away yesterday. I don't know for sure if Naja has died, but it would certainly not come as a surprise to me. If so R.I.P Naja.
Edit: I am not on facebook, but it is on a public group called "Colchester Zoo" with 7.5k members for anyone interested.
Edit: I am not on facebook, but it is on a public group called "Colchester Zoo" with 7.5k members for anyone interested.
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I sincerely hope not, would be such a shame. It does seem as if the old Woburn generation are reaching that point.
Yes I've been on Facebook and it does state this although I'm going to wait for official confirmation from the zoo as its just a comment from a visitor . It would only leave the male Bailey if this is true. I don't know how old any of the trio were/are?
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The visitor could be wrong after all, although Naja would've been 18 this year which is quite old for a female lion.
Her sister, Malika died in back in 2020 and their current male, Bailey will be 15 this year.