Western Lowland Gorillas were on the 1988 Masterplan. The original proposed site was where butterflies is now.
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter bongorob
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Western Lowland Gorillas were on the 1988 Masterplan. The original proposed site was where butterflies is now.
ItsZach
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the advice, appreciated!
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
Shame about the aracaris. I only got to see them once before the upper aviaries closed.
I am both saddened and agitated by the thought of Chester integrating a theme park. It's becoming far too commercialised for my liking. Zoos are for animals, not rollercoasters.
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
Are the Salvadori's Pheasants no longer free-roaming in that aviary anymore then? Or is it a second pair?
Commercial income is necessary, like it or not.
If the money runs out, you only need to look at other zoos to see what becomes of the animal side in the absence of it. I'm thinking heavily of Twycross here, but we could name two or three (or five) other British zoos that have downscaled massively in recent years in one way or another.
Chester is thriving compared to many and it's cash that does that I'm afraid. I'm not going to sit here and say I've liked every decision they've made over recent years but at the same time, the zoo is still building for animals on a scale unmatched in Britain and Ireland and has by some way the biggest and most rarity-packed collection in the region.
So, while (as alluded to) certain members of staff are certainly much-missed on my part, I have a hard time buying into the 'theme park' narrative to be honest.
If the money runs out, you only need to look at other zoos to see what becomes of the animal side in the absence of it. I'm thinking heavily of Twycross here, but we could name two or three (or five) other British zoos that have downscaled massively in recent years in one way or another.
Chester is thriving compared to many and it's cash that does that I'm afraid. I'm not going to sit here and say I've liked every decision they've made over recent years but at the same time, the zoo is still building for animals on a scale unmatched in Britain and Ireland and has by some way the biggest and most rarity-packed collection in the region.
So, while (as alluded to) certain members of staff are certainly much-missed on my part, I have a hard time buying into the 'theme park' narrative to be honest.
Sorry but you could hardly call the zoo a them park, it has one boat ride and 4 play parks. The new ride is on unused land the zoo appears to have no plans to use in the next few years.
If it keeps the visitor numbers up and coming back then it helps the zoo with improving and Conservation.
If it keeps the visitor numbers up and coming back then it helps the zoo with improving and Conservation.
Some also forget the massive impact covid had on the zoo, income crashed with overheads not falling by much, yet they are still moving forward with Grasslands and the recent Snow Leopards.
Presumably this was a private email off the back of the AGM as there doesn't seem to have been an official one? If so I'll save any thoughts 'til we have something concrete.
Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
I have also received no email today from the zoo, but do know that the ride is in fact fact and very much happening.
I have been a member for a very long time and for the first year ever I haven't voted for the AGM,as I feel that these days members count for nothing and voting doesn't change anything the zoo used to be a democracy now it is a dictatorship and what the CEO wants he gets, you only have to look at the vast sums of money being spent on none animal projects yes I know they bring in money but even half of what was spent on the square, the zoo could have had three or four new animal enclosures.
I agree Laboratory7, I joined NEZS in 1976 and have visited each year since 1962. I do not think the zoo values its members and adopters as they claim to do.
The Square really annoys me, previous management intended to have it open to the public. New management has closed to the public.
Oh, I've no reason to doubt the information - I'm just not going to lose sleep on something until I hear from the zoo exactly what it is - it sounds like something that will be easy to ignore at least.
The Oakfield stable block is listed along with the main house isn't it? They'd have had to spend the money at some point!
I dunno - I've just been hearing these 'turning it into a theme park' arguments for years and all it's really amounted to is a new boat ride (replacing the other one they had anyway), the monorail being actually removed, and an underwhelming ropes course. To this we maybe now add a kids driving ride that may well be very similar to what Whipsnade was hosting for a time that very much didn't bring the house down. Alton Towers it ain't..!
I would also note that when it came down to it, it was the restaurant they dropped from the Grasslands/HoA development, not an animal enclosure - and indeed they replaced it with an education facility (I think this was more because that would have been an awful choke point and ruined the visitor experience, but a) I think that's correct and b) they still could have dropped something else and chose not to!).
Chester doesn't make flawless decisions but on the whole I think it does better than most places. And if it's going to need the odd sideshow to top up the funds, I'd much rather they brought them in before the collection otherwise starts to suffer - the Gruffalo seems to have been too little, too late at Twycross.
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I agree this is a shame - hopefully it's because it's too busy with private events to make it worth trying to squeeze the public in..!
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
I suppose that is the uncomfortable truth.
On another note, I forgot to mention earlier that a single Oustalet's Chameleon is now onshow within the Radiated Tortoise inside enclosure.
The hard facts are that in the UK* zoos can't get by on public funding like many in Germany, or rely on funding boosts from the city when they need it for big developments like many in the US. So they need to keep up visitor spend to keep going.
(*yes, there are a few exceptions, but they are very much in the minority and mostly a long way from being called a big zoo, however pleasant they may be..!)
I absolutely share with others concern about zoos being turned into theme parks, both here and over there, but I think it's worth keeping a separation between the sorts of amusements/experiences that can be taken down seasonally and therefore are not really permanent changes to the park versus anything that involve infrastructure that will be at least somewhat permanent Some of the lighter developments are just an effort to fill in unused space on a temporary basis and raise revenue until there is enough money to proceed with more ambitious plans down the road. Some of them are meant to be short-term. If someone build a rollercoaster or something, that would be a lot harder to convert back into animal space down the line and is much more concerning.
I really deplore this digression and road to below par. It is testament to a lack of ideas at the top, clearly not a conservation mind nor animal / plant man at heart.
I also remember a time around then when it was rumoured Chessington was going to close and Chester were very interested in their whole gorilla group becoming available-but Chessington didn't close of course.
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
In other, less depressing news, I forgot to mention a couple of things yesterday which have just now sprung to mind. Sorry if someone else has already mentioned them at some point.
The Bornean Rock Frogs are now in Realm of the Red Ape, in a vivarium just before the hanging parrots.
The Black Breasted Leaf Turtle was actually in a viv with a Horn Headed Lizard (unseen), yet signed to be in with the Green Crested Lizards, in Realm of the Red Ape.
Does this mean that the Horn Headed Lizard is no longer in the Monsoon Forest, or is it another specimen?
Genuine question: does the Asian Giant Toad actually exist at Chester?
The Bornean Rock Frogs are now in Realm of the Red Ape, in a vivarium just before the hanging parrots.
The Black Breasted Leaf Turtle was actually in a viv with a Horn Headed Lizard (unseen), yet signed to be in with the Green Crested Lizards, in Realm of the Red Ape.
Does this mean that the Horn Headed Lizard is no longer in the Monsoon Forest, or is it another specimen?
Genuine question: does the Asian Giant Toad actually exist at Chester?
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
How can it be a digression? - if they already have a boat ride and 4 play parks - continuation maybe, but digression, hardly.
It is testament to a lack of ideas at the top - yes I agree, it very much does look like that, rather like Gruffalo Land...?
But - where do you draw the line... Subsidised zoos in America or Europe may be in a different position, but very few UK zoos can do without a kids play area (or four...) Does a train at Cotswold, or dinosaurs and a road train at Hamerton, or huge (and currently being expanded) play areas at Monkey World turn them into 'theme parks' too? Paultons and Chessington have clearly crossed the line (?), but in between there is a huge grey area...
Maybe the 'problem' at Chester is that it is already too big, and crushingly expensive for a family to visit over two days staying in a hotel overnight. Lack of development is often seen as regression, so when you are already too big for much of your audience, development is always going to be challenging.
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ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Sorry - just saw this, or I could have combined points. Why does the zoo need 'three or four new animal enclosures' - it already has too many for most if not all of its visitors to see during their visit.