I think that's a dubious claim for any zoo tiger, whatever its colour.
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo cats and baboon pens
- Thread starter bongorob
- Start date
I think that's a dubious claim for any zoo tiger, whatever its colour.
taun
Well-Known Member
So true, does anyone know whether chester male has been introduced to the females? It was mentioned a while back at them trying this, i dont know why they would thou!
Hmm... I never thought about it before. I've never seen all 3 in the exhibit at once though. Does any one know when the female sumatran tiger is arriving and when the two bengals are leaving?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
The female Bengals???? were suppose to leave when the Male Sumatran arrived,but their is a lack of space i believe at West Midlands to take them back,so it looks like the zoo is stuck with them!!
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
As far as i know none have been reconmended to be paired with Chesters male yet.
I heard the same from the Carnivore team about 5 weeks ago.
It seems the Sumatran tiger EEP is moving at snails pace. This has probably a lot to do with pairing up unrelated (yes UNRELATED) individuals. Breeding has improved in recent years though and not just the usual breeders are currently involved.
However, do not get your hopes up ... the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam has now kept old age Sumatrans for nearly a decade. Both are now deceased, yet no sign of any youngish breeding pair for now .............. (it pains me ... to say so ....)!
Hello! I'm a newbie and am in awe of all the various peoples' knowledge (and contacts) on here.
I find the list of cats held past and present by the zoo particularly interesting... and it seems astonishing to me that they had so many different species considering the range they have today.
I'm just old enough to remember the old cat house (and small nocturnal mammals house) before demolition, though I think there were only a couple of species left in it; it must've been close to zero hour for the building.
I believe I did see cheetahs at the zoo when they were previously displayed, and I'm a little surprised that several posters on here seem to have seen relatively little of cheetahs in general... I mean many of you seem well travelled.
I think Dublin Zoo has a good number (at least back in 2004 they did). There's also a zoo in Denmark which has them. It may have been Copehagen zoo. I'm also pretty sure South Lakes Wild Animal Park had some when I visited, though that is several years ago now.
I really would like to see more small cat species at Chester, though goodness knows where they'd put them.
For me the member of the cat family which trumps them all is a (sort of) big cat, and is unfortunately extremely unlikely to be procured... the snow leopard. Yes, I know, I'm living in a fantasy world, but that's the ideal species I'd like to see successfully bred in captivity at Chester.
A lot more realistically (I hope) maybe something as 'ordinary' as the Scottish/European wild cat... rare, native to Britain, and with their gene pool under threat from interbreeding with feral cats. However, I have no idea how well they cope in captivity.
Actually I may be imagining things but I swear I remember seeing a snow leopard in Edinburgh zoo in 2005. I duuno, maybe I'm confusing it with another species as they seemed to have three different types.
Sorry for the very long, rambling post.
I find the list of cats held past and present by the zoo particularly interesting... and it seems astonishing to me that they had so many different species considering the range they have today.
I'm just old enough to remember the old cat house (and small nocturnal mammals house) before demolition, though I think there were only a couple of species left in it; it must've been close to zero hour for the building.
I believe I did see cheetahs at the zoo when they were previously displayed, and I'm a little surprised that several posters on here seem to have seen relatively little of cheetahs in general... I mean many of you seem well travelled.
I think Dublin Zoo has a good number (at least back in 2004 they did). There's also a zoo in Denmark which has them. It may have been Copehagen zoo. I'm also pretty sure South Lakes Wild Animal Park had some when I visited, though that is several years ago now.
I really would like to see more small cat species at Chester, though goodness knows where they'd put them.
For me the member of the cat family which trumps them all is a (sort of) big cat, and is unfortunately extremely unlikely to be procured... the snow leopard. Yes, I know, I'm living in a fantasy world, but that's the ideal species I'd like to see successfully bred in captivity at Chester.
A lot more realistically (I hope) maybe something as 'ordinary' as the Scottish/European wild cat... rare, native to Britain, and with their gene pool under threat from interbreeding with feral cats. However, I have no idea how well they cope in captivity.
Actually I may be imagining things but I swear I remember seeing a snow leopard in Edinburgh zoo in 2005. I duuno, maybe I'm confusing it with another species as they seemed to have three different types.
Sorry for the very long, rambling post.
I was also surprised that some, particularly younger members haven't seen Cheetahs. There are still several Uk zoos exhibiting them but perhaps none fairly close close to Chester(e.g. not at Twycross, Welsh Mountain Zoo or Blackpool, but what about Knowsley S.P.?)
Snow Leopard- actually it wouldn't seem impossible for Chester to exhibit these. I can't remember if they had them before in the old 'smallcat' building (bongorob?) Several other Uk zoos have them- Banham, Howletts, Broxbourne(Herts) Dudley, Dublin, Marwell & Port Lympne(1). But they seem infrequent breeders in the Uk,- I know Marwell and Howletts have bred them in the past.
I believe some effort is being made to increase the numbers of purebred Scottish Wildcat by captive breeding in zoos. They are certainly in need of it given the hybridisation problem. I have heard it said that the absolutely genetically 'pure' Scottish Wildcat is already lost, but I prefer not to believe that...
Unfortunately they're a pretty poor zoo exhibit. I think they do breed okay in captivity but they are very shy so of little value as an exhibit.
Plus, of course, Welsh Mountain and soon Twycross too.
I forgot the Welsh Mountain zoo- and Twycross doesn't count- yetbut they will do soon. Its interesting that most of these places are in what I'd term the '2nd division' of UK zoos( Marwell and Howletts/PL excepted)
Perhaps lower crowd numbers is the reason why they are getting the shy snow leopards?
I am not aware of snow leopards having been kept at Chester Zoo. They certainly never had any in the cat house.
I first saw them in 1986 at Chessington and I was very impressed.
Another Uk zoo that had snow leopard till quite recently was Colchester- I think their pair died or were put down due to old age.
I don't know any of these zoos apart from Marwell & Howletts where they have bred them though. Marwell has a really top-class enclosure for their pair, opened a year or so back- it replaced their much older enclosure which was pretty basic.
The first Snow leopard I ever saw was at London Zoo. I think it was just about the only one in Uk at that time. I remember being very struck by its beauty.
I don't know any of these zoos apart from Marwell & Howletts where they have bred them though. Marwell has a really top-class enclosure for their pair, opened a year or so back- it replaced their much older enclosure which was pretty basic.
The first Snow leopard I ever saw was at London Zoo. I think it was just about the only one in Uk at that time. I remember being very struck by its beauty.
Thanks for all the info.
I accept that Scottish Wild Cats wouldn't make a thrilling exhibit but they do need help.
Yeah, I knew snow leopards were hard to breed in captivity (at least in this country) and that's one reason why I'd like to see Chester have a go.
I don't think I've seen the new snow leopard enclosure at Marwell yet... I feel a visit coming on.
I accept that Scottish Wild Cats wouldn't make a thrilling exhibit but they do need help.
Yeah, I knew snow leopards were hard to breed in captivity (at least in this country) and that's one reason why I'd like to see Chester have a go.
I don't think I've seen the new snow leopard enclosure at Marwell yet... I feel a visit coming on.
tahninial
Active Member
I have a few cat house pics amongst the "circa 1990" (though these could be from any time in the 90's actually) pictures, including one a of a rather young me next to some form of leopardy thing that isn't looking, one of the lynx species, a puma and what looks to be two bobcats.
They weren't taken with a zoom so the animals arent that great, but this does mean the actual house interior style is visible if anyone wants me to scan them, as I couldn't seem to spot any in the gallery?