Chester Zoo Questions/comments about Chester Zoo

Who actually likes the new mice? I will look at them, but they're no way near as nice a a bird of paradise or a hornbill.
 
jelle said:
Good to know that Chester are finally planning to redistribute some of their Philippine deer to other UK zoos. The group at 6.5 was just getting way to big for them. It is fair that Colchester should now get a female to start up theirs.

Any indication which other UK zoos are ready to receive them?
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Whipsnade were interested at one point.
 
Wghipsnade have been interested in these for quite a while. I'm going on 13th October, I'll see if I can find out anything. They have also considered Indochinese Sika Deer in the past.
 
I do, I'm determined to get good photographs of both species. It's proving more difficult than I imagined.

1. They hardly ever show themselves.

2. The reflections of the okapi enclosure and passing visitors in the glass rather spoils the shot.

3. When a decent shot is possible, some child usually comes running up and shouts 'come and see this', at the top of their voice. The mice don't stay around for long.
 
I've uploaded my own footage of the mice. I took these clips at around 2pm, when I was at the members summer school. I've now seen and filmed every species of animal in the house. I've also done this in the elephant house.
 
bongorob said:
3. When a decent shot is possible, some child usually comes running up and shouts 'come and see this', at the top of their voice. The mice don't stay around for long.
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I think children should be banned from zoos, at least while I'm visiting...;)
 
I sympathise. As I'm a teacher, I can only visit zoos at weekends or in the school holidays :mad:

Alan
 
bongorob said:
I don't think Mr Hornbill would be very happy with this policy.
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We'll make an exception for Hornbill. He said himself he's not an average teenager and he's got some quite good information sometimes.;)

Seriously, I once took my family to Chester Zoo many years ago and the whole place was overrun with hordes of secondary school running around completely out of control. It was actually quite intimidating and completely ruined the visit. I was astounded at the lack of supervision and mentioned it when we left...
At 3.30 they all piled back onto their coaches and left the zoo so we were able to enjoy an hour or two's peace. It was my worst zoo visit ever...
 
I don't mind kids at the zoo so much, as long as they are getting something out of it. It can be quite endearing to watch a child's first sight of an elephant or a tiger.

What does annoy me though are the hordes of idiotic parents who cannot tell the difference between a leopard and a tiger, or a gorilla and an orangutan. And when confronted with anything slightly unusual like an okapi, they draw a complete blank and say something like "what's wrong with that zebra?" Sometimes the things you overhear people say in zoos beggars belief - I find myself biting my tongue!
 
People say that the coatis are baby bears, gibbons are baby orangs, and that the mindanao bleeding hearts are ugly BoPs

Also tapirs are anteaters
 
Chris79 said:
I don't mind kids at the zoo so much, as long as they are getting something out of it. It can be quite endearing to watch a child's first sight of an elephant or a tiger.

What does annoy me though are the hordes of idiotic parents who cannot tell the difference between a leopard and a tiger, or a gorilla and an orangutan. And when confronted with anything slightly unusual like an okapi, they draw a complete blank and say something like "what's wrong with that zebra?" Sometimes the things you overhear people say in zoos beggars belief - I find myself biting my tongue!
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I find a lot of children are very knowledgeable about animals and conservation. Last year I was at Whipsnade looking at their turtles when a group of girls aged about 7 or 8 entered (one of them was celebrating her birthday). Most took a quick look and wandered off but one of them proceeded to tell me what each species was called and where they came from. I was very impressed. I didn't spoil her fun by saying I already knew.
 
Luckily if you have your own children you can instill them with zoonerdism. I was looking at the echidnas in Paignton zoo with my three year old when a couple came over and said look it's a hedgehog or a porcupine, and in a stage whisper he announced that if they could be bothered looking at the sign they soon realise that it was neither!
 
Chris79 said:
I don't mind kids at the zoo so much, as long as they are getting something out of it. It can be quite endearing to watch a child's first sight of an elephant or a tiger.
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My original statement about banning children was, of course, a joke.:) Zoos are probably first and foremost for children. BUT I have noticed kids at UK zoos are generally worse behaved sometimes than they are on the continent for example. Go somewhere like Colchester on a busy day and you'll see what I mean... Shouting, yelling, banging on the glass exhibits etc. (Its almost a job for SuperNanny....)
 
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