Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion and Questions 2024

Just wondering about the current elephant situation at Chester Zoo right now. How many of their elephants are breeding viable? Also are any currently pregnant? Plus how come it feels that they used to have so many elephants but only have around four now. I know that eehv has effected this but still I did not realize that they have ended up with such a small amount of elephants. And finally is their exhibit a little dated or not? I’ve not been able to find clear images of the exhibit itself on Zoo chat or the internet.
 
Zoo-Lover-1-2-3 said:
Just wondering about the current elephant situation at Chester Zoo right now. How many of their elephants are breeding viable? Also are any currently pregnant? Plus how come it feels that they used to have so many elephants but only have around four now. I know that eehv has effected this but still I did not realize that they have ended up with such a small amount of elephants. And finally is their exhibit a little dated or not? I’ve not been able to find clear images of the exhibit itself on Zoo chat or the internet.
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one pregnant and she’s currently the only mature elephant that can be bred. There are a couple up and coming young girls though. No breeding bull yet.
 
Current herd 1:4

Maya- 0:1 born 1966
Sundara - 0:1 born 2004 (breeding female)
Indali - 0:1 born 2016 (Sundara's daughter)
Riva - 0:1 born 2020 (Sundara's daughter)
Anjan - 1:0 born 2018 (Thai's son)

Possible new calf end of 2024/2025 if Sundara is pregnant
 
Zoo-Lover-1-2-3 said:
Just wondering about the current elephant situation at Chester Zoo right now. . . . I’ve not been able to find clear images of the exhibit itself on Zoo chat or the internet.
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See ZooLex Exhibit - Elephants of the Asian Forest The structure is still the same, but the list of species inside the house has changed (except for the elephants of course) and the main paddock is now floored with sand.
 
Embu said:
Current herd 1:4

Maya- 0:1 born 1966
Sundara - 0:1 born 2004 (breeding female)
Indali - 0:1 born 2016 (Sundara's daughter)
Riva - 0:1 born 2020 (Sundara's daughter)
Anjan - 1:0 born 2018 (Thai's son)

Possible new calf end of 2024/2025 if Sundara is pregnant
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I can see them sending away Anjan when he gets a bit older to stop inbreeding.
 
Is the zoo planning on acquiring new females so that they can have a sizeable possible breeding group again? And is Riva breed-able? I know that Sundara is. Also was Sundara’s mom Thi?
 
Zoo-Lover-1-2-3 said:
Is the zoo planning on acquiring new females so that they can have a sizeable possible breeding group again? And is Riva breed-able? I know that Sundara is. Also was Sundara’s mom Thi?
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I highly doubt new females will be sourced as they like to keep it's a family affair. Riva is (fingers crossed) a future breeding female however she was only 4 in February so is still very young to breed. Sundara is the sole breeding female(who hopefully is pregnant) then there's her 2 daughters Indali (who will be 8 in December) & Riva. If Sundara is pregnant hopefully she'll have another healthy daughter. Sundara's mum was Sithami(she collapsed suddenly and died in 2018) Thai was Sithami's mother(Sundara's grandmother) so leaves behind a direct line(albeit after 8 calves, 3 grand calves & 3 great grandcalves only 6 are still alive). One can't be too optimistic about the future regarding EEHV(an 8 Yr old cow died last week from it in Dublin) but fingers crossed having saved Indali's life the same could be done when it strikes again.
 
Zoo-Lover-1-2-3 said:
Is the zoo planning on acquiring new females so that they can have a sizeable possible breeding group again? And is Riva breed-able? I know that Sundara is. Also was Sundara’s mom Thi?
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Also I doubt they'd acquire new females considering they already have the foundations of a strong matrilineal herd already; Sundara and her two daughters. If she is pregnant, another duaghter will hopefully solidify this which is something they've been trying to achieve for decades but has sadly been combated by EEHV and the passings of Thi and Sithami.
 
Unfortunately Thai & Sithami's passing were unavoidable(Thai's arthritis deteriorated and Sithami was dead before the keepers could get to her). Out of the 7 calves that died to EEHV there were 3 females(which by now all 3 would be breeding females) which obviously would have been a huge boost as they would have been the biggest breeding herd in the UK. However even though devastation has torn through the herd, Chester and vets/zoos around the world will have learnt so much from these deaths. Indali has survived EEHV and fingers crossed for Riva, another female would be amazing but any calf(male or female) that is born & can survive the virus will be a major achievement
 
Does anyone know what the original Chimp and Orangutan housing which adjoins the tropical realm was used after the current house was built and if they are still in use? Does anyone have any images of them then/now, can only find the odd one or two photos of them online.
 
jtrbmvcq said:
I think they are both hidden away under lock and key. I believe the building where the current “Nature” exhibition is held is part of the old orangutan house.
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Seen the old orangutan house now acting as exhibition space. Interesting to see if that is a long term plan, the outdoor space could be suitable for red pandas or a smaller monkey species, the inside albeit a tad oversized. Was more interested around the old accommodation in the tropical realm which backs onto the current chimp island
 
03cosmos said:
Does anyone know what the original Chimp and Orangutan housing which adjoins the tropical realm was used after the current house was built and if they are still in use? Does anyone have any images of them then/now, can only find the odd one or two photos of them online.
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I was one of the group of ZooChatters who went on the 'Walk and Talk' event in July 2011 with Andrew Owen (who was then Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians) - which was organised by @SMR and @zoogiraffe.
If I remember correctly, at that time the old on-show ape enclosures were all empty. But the old bedrooms were in use. They are on the other side of the keeper's corridor, directly under the balcony aviaries. I guess that each one is about 2.5 or 3m square, those at the far end (near the door into the keeper's yard behind the macaws) were converted into aviaries for small finches etc, while the ones at the other end held off-show reptiles and amphibians. I have photos, which I promised not to publish, of Egyptian tortoises and Vietnamese mossy frogs (which were newly arrived at the time) which we saw there, among other things. I don't know what is held there now, as there are so many creatures off-show over the road. But I would be very surprised if they are no longer used at all.
 
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