Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2024

DesertRhino150

DesertRhino150

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
First major update of 2024 is new information about the change to Colchester Zoological Society, due to be coming on 1st January 2025. While most of the changes that will be happening this year will be behind-the-scenes, the new logo for the zoo will be increasingly used in preparation and in spring 2024 the zoo will get a brand-new website.

This page here gives some information about the changes that will be taking place:
Introducing Colchester Zoological Society | Colchester Zoo
 
DesertRhino150 said:
First major update of 2024 is new information about the change to Colchester Zoological Society, due to be coming on 1st January 2025. While most of the changes that will be happening this year will be behind-the-scenes, the new logo for the zoo will be increasingly used in preparation and in spring 2024 the zoo will get a brand-new website.

This page here gives some information about the changes that will be taking place:
Introducing Colchester Zoological Society | Colchester Zoo
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Most impressive and question is have they looked after gorillas before ?
 
Panthera1981 said:
Is the plan to phase out the chimps? I didn’t see them on the link.
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The map in the link definitely isn't complete - I remember when the masterplan was first announced, the zoo said (in response to a question on Facebook) that the sea lions and penguins would both be staying in the same place.

That being said, part of me does wonder if the bonobos will end up replacing the chimps - I don't think the chimps will be bred any more, and there aren't that many left now (five, I think?).
 
Species Arrivals, Departments and Movements
  • I have a feeling that the Visayan warty pigs may have left the collection - they are no longer signed at all, and the main logo for the Island Dwellers exhibit has even been changed to only show the Philippine spotted deer. Checking further, and they are also no longer mentioned on the zoo's website.
Births
  • Fortunately, the Island Dwellers exhibit did have an exciting arrival, with a very young fawn of a Philippine spotted deer visible in the enclosure.
Developments
  • The Inca Trail redevelopment seems to be complete. The sandy beach part of the penguin enclosure has now been expanded right up to the sloping elevated pathway, and a new covered viewing area has been put up by the rock hyrax viewing window. I am not certain if the larger windows at the bearded saki enclosure opposite the upper penguin viewing area is also new.
 
Colchester Zoo have released their annual news about the animal stocktake and have again included the numbers of different species.

The number of species in the zoo at the start of 2024 was (with previous years in brackets):

Mammals - 66 (67 in 2023, 68 in 2022, 69 in 2021, 70 in 2020 and 72 in 2019)
Birds - 16 (also 16 in 2023, 19 in 2022, 21 in 2021, 24 in 2020 and 39 in 2019)
Reptiles - 24 (27 in 2023, 34 in 2022 and 2021, 32 in 2020 and 33 in 2019)
Amphibians - 6 (also 6 in 2023, 7 in 2022, 8 in 2021, 2020 and 2019)
Fishes - 40 (45 in 2023, 47 in 2022, 55 in 2021, 60 in both 2020 and 2019)
Invertebrates - 5 (also 5 in 2023, 9 in 2022, 19 in 2021, 28 in both 2020 and 2019)

Not great to see that most of the animal groups have either stayed on the previous years' numbers or declined further - even with the arrival of a returning species (the Goeldi's monkeys), the mammals have still declined.

More information can be found in the link below:
We’ve been counting the animals 2 by 2 | Colchester Zoo
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Colchester Zoo have released their annual news about the animal stocktake and have again included the numbers of different species.

The number of species in the zoo at the start of 2024 was (with previous years in brackets):

Mammals - 66 (67 in 2023, 68 in 2022, 69 in 2021, 70 in 2020 and 72 in 2019)
Birds - 16 (also 16 in 2023, 19 in 2022, 21 in 2021, 24 in 2020 and 39 in 2019)
Reptiles - 24 (27 in 2023, 34 in 2022 and 2021, 32 in 2020 and 33 in 2019)
Amphibians - 6 (also 6 in 2023, 7 in 2022, 8 in 2021, 2020 and 2019)
Fishes - 40 (45 in 2023, 47 in 2022, 55 in 2021, 60 in both 2020 and 2019)
Invertebrates - 5 (also 5 in 2023, 9 in 2022, 19 in 2021, 28 in both 2020 and 2019)

Not great to see that most of the animal groups have either stayed on the previous years' numbers or declined further - even with the arrival of a returning species (the Goeldi's monkeys), the mammals have still declined.

More information can be found in the link below:
We’ve been counting the animals 2 by 2 | Colchester Zoo
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It is a very worrying trend. The massive decline in birds can be put down largely to the ending of the displays but despite the odd addition the decline in mammals by 6 in 4 years is alarming. I am struggling to think which mammals have been lost? Patas monkey, Colobus, warty pig. (Pygmy marmoset ? Emperor Tamarin?) Perhaps some of those lost are also display animals or domestics ?
 
pipaluk said:
It is a very worrying trend. The massive decline in birds can be put down largely to the ending of the displays but despite the odd addition the decline in mammals by 6 in 4 years is alarming. I am struggling to think which mammals have been lost? Patas monkey, Colobus, warty pig. (Pygmy marmoset ? Emperor Tamarin?) Perhaps some of those lost are also display animals or domestics ?
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Actually planning a thread about the history of animals at Colchester Zoo (which should be coming fairly soon) - I think a fair few of the losses will be from the former display mammals, like the serval, coati and palm civet. I have no idea if the skunks are still around, or whether things like the sugar glider hung around off-show for a while before they left.

I don't think it would be either the pygmy marmosets or emperor tamarins - latest information I can get for those suggested they left in around 2015 and 2013 respectively.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Actually planning a thread about the history of animals at Colchester Zoo (which should be coming fairly soon) - I think a fair few of the losses will be from the former display mammals, like the serval, coati and palm civet. I have no idea if the skunks are still around, or whether things like the sugar glider hung around off-show for a while before they left.

I don't think it would be either the pygmy marmosets or emperor tamarins - latest information I can get for those suggested they left in around 2015 and 2013 respectively.
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Thanks, that was what I thought, except I cannot believe it is 9 and 11 Years since those species left! Time flies
 
pipaluk said:
It is a very worrying trend. The massive decline in birds can be put down largely to the ending of the displays but despite the odd addition the decline in mammals by 6 in 4 years is alarming. I am struggling to think which mammals have been lost? Patas monkey, Colobus, warty pig. (Pygmy marmoset ? Emperor Tamarin?) Perhaps some of those lost are also display animals or domestics ?
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In addition to those you have already mentioned, the African Wild Dogs would be one more recent loss, can't think of any others of the top of my head though.
 
I’ll try and remember a few species that were at Colchester Zoo in the 1960s……
Striped Hyena, Tayra, Grison, Demoiselle Crane, Sarus Crane, Lesser Flamingo, African Fish Eagle, Silver Pheasant, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Red Kangaroo, Black-necked Swan, Black Swan, Asian Elephant, White-crested Laughingthrush, Mandarin Duck, Carolina Wood Duck, Common Pochard, Tawny Owl, Asian Lion, Raccoon, Golden Lion Tamarin, Emerald Dove, European Turtledove, Barbary Dove.
 
FBBird said:
I’ll try and remember a few species that were at Colchester Zoo in the 1960s……
Striped Hyena, Tayra, Grison, Demoiselle Crane, Sarus Crane, Lesser Flamingo, African Fish Eagle, Silver Pheasant, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Red Kangaroo, Black-necked Swan, Black Swan, Asian Elephant, White-crested Laughingthrush, Mandarin Duck, Carolina Wood Duck, Common Pochard, Tawny Owl, Asian Lion, Raccoon, Golden Lion Tamarin, Emerald Dove, European Turtledove, Barbary Dove.
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Thanks for these - a fair few of those species (all birds) hadn't cropped up in my previous searches. I'll add them to my plans for the upcoming thread.
 
The zoo has now confirmed the birth of the Philippine spotted deer - it was born on January the 2nd, to mother 'Autumn' and father 'Bongat', both of which arrived at Colchester in 2019. It is the pair's third calf since their arrival. The calf has so far not been sexed.

More information can be found in the link below:
Meet our first arrival of 2024! | Colchester Zoo
 
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