EVEN-TOED UNGULATES
Many zoos have to make a choice on what they specialise on – Colchester has very much gone down the route of primates and carnivores, with the even-toed ungulates largely making way for them. While at least twenty-seven species have been kept in the past, today there are just fourteen species, of which six are domesticated hoofstock. Some absences can probably be explained by the claggy earth and location in a river valley, and the space is not particularly sufficient for large antelope herds either. The zoo’s upcoming masterplan includes a new enclosure labelled for hippos, likely referring to the current pygmy hippos. One new species being planned in this masterplan is the okapi, still a rather prestigious animal in the world of zoos that would definitely add a lot to the currently rather small artiodactyl collection.
Past holdings:
Guanaco,
Lama guanicoe
I do not know when this species arrived at or departed from the collection, or where it was kept within the zoo, but Zootierliste reports that a guidebook from 1978 mentions this species.
Bactrian camel,
Camelus bactrianus
One of the zoo’s most popular additions in its 1963 opening year was a young male Bactrian camel by the name of Boris, who arrived from Moscow Zoo. Maps from 1984 to 1986 show camels living in a paddock where the Kingdom of the Wild House now stands – a note here on Zoochat suggests they may have been Bactrian camels, as this species arrived in 1983 alongside a couple of antelope species. The next reference I can find to Bactrian camels is from the 1999 to 2000 map, living in the former elephant paddock where the sea lions now live. These camels moved over to Kingdom of the Wild when it opened in 2002, but seem to have left within the year.
Dromedary camel,
Camelus dromedarius
The Story of Colchester Zoo shows a photograph taken in the mid-1960s showing dromedary camels at the zoo, in one of the paddocks roughly where the Elephant Kingdom or Kingdom of the Wild houses now stand. The 1972 guidebook also includes dromedary camels, showing them living in the same area. I do not know exactly when this species arrived at or left the zoo.
Collared peccary,
Pecari tajacu
I cannot find the exact information showing when peccaries arrived at or left Colchester Zoo, but the 1972 map shows peccaries living roughly where the lemur walkthrough now stands. The International Zoo News issue for 1986 reports the arrival of a male collared peccary sometime between the May and August of that year.
North Sulawesi babirusa,
Babyrousa celebensis
The earliest reference I can find for this species is from 1998, with both Zootierliste and the map for that year mentioning the species. They left in or soon after 2003. This species lived in one of the former Wilds of Asia paddocks, roughly where the Komodo dragon house now stands.
Visayan warty pig,
Sus cebifrons
A bachelor group of four individuals of this species arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2013. They moved into what became the Island Dwellers exhibit, mixed with the Philippine spotted deer. The last individuals left the zoo in late 2023.
Lesser Malayan chevrotain,
Tragulus kanchil
The first reference I can find for these tiniest of ungulates is from the 1998 map, in their original enclosure down the steep slope behind the Rivers Edge house (now closest to the gibbon enclosure). When the lower section of this slope was closed, the last individual moved into the Iguana Forest enclosure in the Beginning Zone. The evidence I have found suggests that this species disappeared from the collection in around September 2010.
Hybrid giraffe,
Giraffa hybrid
With no information about the species status of some historical giraffes, I am including them here. Soon after the original giraffes Roz and David (see the species information below), they were replaced by an unnamed pair that arrived in 1971. In 1975 another pair of giraffes called Toco and Gwendoline arrived from Bristol Zoo. These were the last giraffes at Colchester Zoo until the return of giraffes in 2001. While the statuses of these early giraffes are difficult to identify, there were certainly two hybrids at Colchester in early 2007, according to that year’s EAZA yearbook.
Northern giraffe,
Giraffa cameleopardis
A male Rothschild’s giraffe named David was one of the first two giraffes kept at Colchester Zoo, arriving from Uganda in 1969. They lived in the original Giraffe House where the Rivers Edge building now stands. In 2007, a male Rothschild’s giraffe arrived alongside a male reticulated giraffe to join two hybrid giraffe males. When the zoo turned to bringing in female giraffes, they seemed to settle on reticulated giraffes as the species they are trying to breed.
Masai giraffe,
Giraffa tippelskirchi
Alongside David the Rothschild’s giraffe, a female Masai giraffe named Roz was the other inhabitant of the original Giraffe House in 1969. It is not known how long this animal remained at the zoo, although The Story of Colchester Zoo suggests that they were soon gone.
European fallow deer,
Dama dama
It is not certain when this species arrived at or departed from Colchester Zoo, nor is it known where they were kept, but a postcard from Colchester Zoo shows an individual of this species.
Axis deer,
Axis axis
This species was kept for at least twelve years at Colchester Zoo – the earliest record I can find is the report of two successful births in 1986 from the IZN issue of that year. They are also shown on three maps – in 1991 they seem to have been kept roughly where the binturongs and small-clawed otters now live while on both the 1994 and 1998 maps they are shown living with the blackbuck, in an enclosure roughly where the play area next to the Lost Madagascar lemur walkthrough now stands. It is not entirely certain when the species arrived at or departed from the collection.
Common hog deer,
Axis porcinus
Soon after the zoo opened, in the summer of 1963, the first hog deer arrived at Colchester Zoo from Whipsnade. The arrival of a female hog deer sometime between September and December 1986 is mentioned in the IZN newsletter of that year. This arrival probably wasn’t the species returning to the zoo, as it is shown on a 1984 or 1985 map. It is also listed on a 1991 map – on both of these maps, the deer are shown living in an enclosure that is currently home to a single male cheetah, on the slope across from the lake. The final appearance of the species at Colchester is from the 2003 map, in the Island Dwellers enclosure now home to the Philippine spotted deer.
Sika deer,
Cervus nippon
Formosan sika deer are recorded arriving at Colchester Zoo sometime between 1966 and 1968 according to The Story of Colchester Zoo. It is not clear how long they were kept at the zoo or where they were kept.
Red deer,
Cervus elaphus
Red deer were recorded as one of the species kept at Colchester Zoo when it opened in 1963, and is shown in a Flickr photograph from 1965. The 1972 guidebook mentions this species, but they are not listed on the map – they may have free-roamed in the former game park, encompassing almost the entire area to the left of the zoo’s lakes. There is also another Flickr photograph possibly showing this species from 1981. It is uncertain when red deer finally left the zoo’s collection.
Wapiti,
Cervus canadensis
A map from the zoo’s opening in 1963 shows that wapiti were kept there at the time, in a paddock roughly where the Elephant Kingdom or Kingdom of the Wild buildings now stand. They were still recorded in the 1967 to 1968 guidebook.
Nilgai,
Boselaphus tragocamelus
While there is no indication of when the species arrived at the zoo, the IZN report from 1986 records the departure of a pair of nilgai during the January to April period of that year. The welcome guide map from that year seems to show the species was kept in one of the enclosures along the road train route, possibly where the male cheetah now lives.
Lowland anoa,
Bubalus depressicornis
This species seems to have arrived in 1998 – the map from that year makes no mention of the species, but they are included in the 1998 guidebook. They are also present on the 1999 to 2000 map. They were absent by 2003. They lived in the Wilds of Asia, in one of the paddocks roughly where the Komodo dragon viewing area now is.
Domestic water buffalo,
Bubalus bubalis
A news article from March 2000 outlines the escape of a pair of Asian water buffalo – in the article, it is said that the buffalo had been at the zoo for ten years, so they have definitely been present since at least 1990. The Indian water buffalo is also labelled on the 2003 map, living in the Familiar Friends section. I am not certain when the species ended up leaving Colchester. Zootierliste records both the kerabau and South European breeds being kept at the zoo.
American bison,
Bison bison
This species is mentioned on the 1972 map and in the guidebook, living in a paddock located roughly where the Kingdom of the Wild house now stands. The Story of Colchester Zoo recounts an incident in 1978 when a male American bison by the name of Bill escaped from the zoo, so the species was definitely still present then.
Domestic cattle,
Bos taurus
Domestic cattle were kept when the zoo opened in 1963, with paddocks for animals of the ankole and Highland breeds. The last domestic cow at the zoo, of the Jersey breed, left in around 2007-2008. Other breeds kept between these times include Guernsey and white park cattle.
Blackbuck,
Antilope cervicapra
Blackbuck arrived at Colchester in around 1983 from Marwell Zoo, living first roughly on the site of the play area next to the current lemur walkthrough before moving to what is now the Island Dwellers paddock. The species left for West Midland Safari Park around or just before 2008, when the Philippine spotted deer arrived.
Waterbuck,
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
It has been reported on ZooChat that a pair of waterbucks arrived at Colchester Zoo alongside the blackbuck in around 1983, also from Marwell Zoo. It is not certain when the species left the collection, or where it was kept within the zoo.
Scimitar-horned oryx,
Oryx dammah (?)
According to The Story of Colchester Zoo, the zoo held animals for John Knowles in the early 1970s as they passed through en-route to the then-new Marwell. While the book only references ‘rare oryx’, the scimitar-horned oryx seems to have been the species that did arrive at Marwell at around that time.
Blue wildebeest,
Connochaetes taurinus
The zoo map and guidebook from 1972 both mention this species as being kept at the zoo. They lived in the lowest paddock along the left side of the lake, where the Kingdom of the Wild house now stands. It is not clear when exactly the species arrived at or departed from the zoo.
Mouflon,
Ovis orientalis
While it is not clear when they arrived or left, mouflon are listed on the 2003 zoo map living in the current Island Dwellers paddock alongside the blackbuck and hog deer.
Rocky Mountain goat,
Oreamnos americanus
It is not entirely certain when the mountain goat arrived at Colchester – Zootierliste says they arrived in 1997, but the earliest map showing their enclosure comes from 1999 or 2000. These goats inhabited a specially-built enclosure in the Familiar Friends section that now features a wallaby walkthrough. They bred multiple times, with successful breeding in the Mays of 2006, 2007 and 2009. The species left the collection in 2010.
Himalayan takin,
Budorcas taxicolor
In the period around 2000 to 2001, a young male Mishmi takin arrived at Colchester Zoo from Berlin Tierpark, one of the first takin in the UK for over sixty years. Unfortunately, he died following an accident soon after his arrival. This animal lived somewhere around the Wilds of Asia building.
Present holdings:
Alpaca,
Lama pacos
The Story of Colchester Zoo records the arrival of three alpacas at the zoo in 1965; I am not sure where these animals lived, or when they left the zoo. The next reference I can find to alpacas is from 2009, with the zoo map showing them living in the enclosure the species still occupies in Familiar Friends. Zootierliste reports that three alpacas arrived from Hamerton Zoo in 2011, but today there are two females that are sometimes moved away from the zoo to be mated before returning to the zoo to give birth.
Llama,
Lama glama
Llamas were present at Colchester Zoo when it opened in 1963, living in a paddock roughly where the Elephant Kingdom house now stands. The zoo maps show that they lived in this enclosure right through to 1997, when the development of the elephant house resulted in them being moved into the Familiar Friends area. They moved into their current paddock in around 2008, where a pair of llamas remain to this day.
Common warthog,
Phacochoerus africanus
Warthog arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2002, with the male coming from Rotterdam and the female from Antwerp. The species has remained at Colchester ever since and bred several times – for the entire duration of their time at the zoo, they have lived in the Edge of Africa section. There was some indication that the species will leave in the not-too-distant future so their enclosure can be used as a secondary home for cheetahs, but the zoo’s August 2023 report says that, following the moving out of previous offspring, they are intending to breed the warthogs again.
Red river hog,
Potamochoerus porcus
The red river hog first arrived at Colchester Zoo in around 1999 to 2000 – the moved into the former spotted hyena enclosure, now a picnic site between the mangabey and Barbary macaque enclosures. By 2003 they had moved to the Edge of Africa, where they remain to this day. The species has bred on multiple occasions and has at times been kept in a large group. In 2017 the zoo imported a male of this species from Oklahoma, introducing a new bloodline to the European breeding programme.
Domestic pig,
Sus domesticus
While there may well have been pigs around earlier, the first record I can find of a domestic pig is from 2005 – I cannot recognise the breed (pale with dark spots and pointed ears), but it lived in an enclosure later used for Continental giant rabbits and now an ornamental pond outside the koi house. A new pig enclosure was built in the Familiar Friends expansion which. from at least 2006 to 2012, housed ‘Essex pigs’, a breed now thought to be extinct. In 2013 they were replaced with kunekune pigs that remained at the zoo until 2020. In that year, they were replaced with Oxford sandy-and-black pigs that remain at the zoo to this day.
Pygmy hippopotamus,
Choeropsis liberiensis
The first pygmy hippo at Colchester was the male, Freddy, who arrived in February 2001 from Givskud Zoo in Denmark. He was joined in 2002 by a female named Venus. They successfully raised six young in their time together, before Freddy died of cancer in September 2023. The zoo more than likely plans to continue with the species, as the masterplan includes a new hippo enclosure.
Reticulated giraffe,
Giraffa reticulata
The earliest confirmed record I can find of a pure reticulated giraffe is from 2007, when a male arrived to join the zoo’s bachelor herd. In 2009, after the dissolution of the bachelor group, two female reticulated giraffes arrived followed by a male in 2010. Unfortunately, the male giraffe did not get along with the rhinos it shared the paddock with and left in 2015 for Twycross Zoo. In that same year, another two female reticulated giraffes arrived.
Domestic reindeer,
Rangifer tarandus
This is a difficult species to identify in the zoo’s records, as I believe animals were brought in from elsewhere for the Christmas period before leaving again. The earliest image I can find of reindeer at Colchester Zoo is from 2008. It is unclear when they became permanent residents at the zoo, because they live off-show behind the overflow car park outside of Christmastime.
Philippine spotted deer,
Rusa alfredi
This species arrived at Colchester Zoo in May 2008, occupying the former blackbuck paddock and living in the same enclosure as they do to this day. The species has bred on at least four separate occasions at the zoo, something which will hopefully increase now that they have the paddock to themselves again following the departure of the warty pigs.
Blue duiker,
Philantomba monticola
These antelope have been kept on and off at Colchester Zoo since the opening of Edge of Africa, with some photographs online showing the species as early as 2004 until around 2009. According to Zootierliste, the species returned to the zoo in 2013. They also had the UK first breeding for the species in 2017. Since that time, they have bred the species regularly, sometimes up to three times in a year – at the end of 2022 there were six duikers. They originally lived in the Edge of Africa paddock where the dik-diks now live, but currently are mixed with the blue crane in the nearby enclosure.
Kirk’s dik-dik,
Madoqua kirkii
The earliest evidence I can find for this species at Colchester Zoo is the 2003 map – at this time, they lived in the Out of Africa enclosure that is now the location of the Barbary macaques. Between then and the present day, they lived in an enclosure on the hilltop where the wreathed hornbill aviary is and a former mixed aviary where the rufous hornbills now live. They currently live in a paddock in the Edge of Africa section, and are among the most regularly breeding animals at the zoo.
Greater kudu,
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
This species arrived at or soon after the opening of Kingdom of the Wild, in around 2002. The species has remained at the zoo ever since, and a calf has been born at the zoo on at least one occasion.
Domestic goat,
Capra hircus
The first record I can actually find for goats at Colchester Zoo is from an undated postcard that shows goats mixed with Joey the red kangaroo, which places them definitely sometime between 1963 and 1972. Story of Colchester Zoo notes that pygmy goats lived next to the bear dens in 1983. When the Familiar Friends complex was created later in the 1980s, goats were part of the section. While the maps often do not give much away, other sources show that they were definitely present, with 1986 IZN issue recording successful pygmy goat births in that year. When the Familiar Friends expansion opened in around 2000 it included the only rove goats, a French breed with spiralling markhor-like horns, ever housed in a British zoo. They remained until around 2010. Today, the African livestock walkthrough in Familiar Friends is home to two goat breeds – the African pygmy and Boer goats.
Domestic sheep,
Ovis aries
The map from the zoo’s 1963 opening shows both four-horned Jacob sheep and Soay sheep were kept in paddocks roughly where the sea lions now live. The Story of Colchester Zoo also mentions the arrival of miniature sheep from Whipsnade in the summer of that year. The 1972 guidebook and map show the Soay sheep living in the same location, while the Jacob sheep had moved to the lowermost of the western paddocks, where the Kingdom of the Wild House now stands. Around 1998, when the extension to Familiar Friends opened, Southdown sheep arrived at the zoo – they remained until at least 2010. Today, there are two breeds of sheep at the zoo – the Cameroon and Somali fat-tailed sheep – both of which live in the African livestock walkthrough.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, most of the zoo’s even-toed ungulates were from Asia – today, only the Philippine spotted deer represents this continent’s artiodactyls.
