Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2010 #3

I was just looking at some old Colchester zoo maps from the late 90's and saw that the zoo were planning to have African hunting dogs where the black and white colobus monkeys are now.

It got me thinking of other things i remember Colchester Zoo were planning in the past but never happened and thought of two things.

1. When the zoo annouced the new orangutan enclosure they said the area would include a walkthrough butterfly exhibit.

2. Komodo dragons were annouced in the late 90's and were going to be housed even in or near the Spirit of Africa building.

Can anyone confirm these or remember any other plans/rumours that never happened?
 
I see there has been more changes to the gold/platinium card term and conditions

taken from terms and conditions (Colchester zoo website)
You may visit the following zoos free of charge Belfast, Bristol, Chester (1 visit only per year), Dublin, Edinburgh, Highland Wildlife Park, Marwell Wildlife (1 visit only per year), Newquay, Living Coasts, Paignton, Rotterdam and Twycross. (NB Copenhagen Zoo and Topeka Zoo, USA.is no longer part of the scheme)

Has anyone used the card in Marwell recently? That will be a shame if they do enforce this as we like to go for a couple of days and stay in the hotel opposite :mad:

When we went to Chester in September they were just counting how many Colchester cards came in and made no attempts to enforce the one visit rule??? :D

Also 2 zoos have dropped out I hope Chester and Marwell are not on there way out of the scheme? :confused:
 
Personnaly I`m surprised the scheme has held together as long as it has,I wouldn`t be at all surprised if more zoo`s pull out of it over the next few years,as many of them have realised that sometimes people join a zoo further away because its membership scheme is cheaper than the one nearest to them!
 
Its a shame for Colchester members are being penalised for people buying Colchester's card as its cheaper! Chester card being £65.00, Marwell £52.50 and Colchester's at £42.99 yearly or 26 months for £79.99 (special offer 2 months free).

Its not our reason to buy a card but it has encouraged us to go on more 'zoo tours' and what we save on entrance fees we usually spend in the shops and restaurants as we count it as a freebie day out so no need for a picnic :D
 
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would be a more logical idea to make the membership cards a standard price rather than a diff price for each zoo in the scheme...
I've got in to Chester about 4 times on my gold card but not made it to Marwell yet
 
I think it would be good to do it as each zoo has an individual membership that ONLY gets them into that one zoo (that way, you pay the right price in correlation to the size/standard of the zoo etc).

If people want to do the zoo tours and stuff, I think they should bring out a separate BIAZA membership that's a bit more expensive but will get you into any BIAZA accredited zoo. What do people think of that idea?
 
I'm must say this before a moderater arrives that this thread is going too far off topic!
 
Just got back from the zoo again. Spent the entire day there, so I was able to see most of the animals. Only a couple of things of note-

- The reed frogs and tenrecs were both in positions where photography was possible. Expect pictures soon.
- I finally saw the chachalacas, golden lion tamarin, Goeldi's monkey and Geoffroy's marmosets outside.
- The tenrecs are starting to go bald and get bite marks on their backs- a sure sign that the breeding season is really underway.
 
Goretex said:
I'm must say this before a moderater arrives that this thread is going too far off topic!
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This happens on most posts on zoochat lol :p

DesertRhino150 -The tenrecs are starting to go bald and get bite marks on their backs- a sure sign that the breeding season is really underway.

This made me chuckle so glad its a species thing and not the norm :o :rolleyes:
 
Apologies if this has already been covered (and I've missed it) but does anyone know what happened to Silva, and the next baby anteater (whose name I can't remember) which was born before the current small baby ?

I know Silva had been in the old fossa enclosure for ages but when I went Saturday he'd disappeared and there was no-one around to ask.
 
GillP said:
Apologies if this has already been covered (and I've missed it) but does anyone know what happened to Silva, and the next baby anteater (whose name I can't remember) which was born before the current small baby ?

I know Silva had been in the old fossa enclosure for ages but when I went Saturday he'd disappeared and there was no-one around to ask.
Click to expand...

Silva moved quite recently to Vienna (I think he arrived there on the 8th?)
 
On my most recent visit nearly a fortnight ago there was a squriel and a buffy-headed-capuchin-monkey living in the old fossa enclosure.

I think it's a real shame that Colchester has seeminlgly although very quietly got rid of their fossas.
 
LOL- Sorry not written very well!! I meant a squriell monkey which presumabely had been seperated from fighting?

This buissness seems very common with Colchester's squriell monkeys.
 
Goretex said:
LOL- Sorry not written very well!! I meant a squriell monkey which presumabely had been seperated from fighting?

This buissness seems very common with Colchester's squriell monkeys.
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Oh... Well then... That was a let down... :p Was hoping that Colchester had added a strange Squirrel species to their collection... :D Thanks for the information though!

EDIT: Also just noticed this is my 500th post (Does a little dance)
 
When I last went (yesterday), the old fossa enclosure housed a single buffy-headed capuchin and a single Colombian spider monkey- two squirrel monkeys were living in the old golden lion tamarin enclosure.

I do wish they'd send off the surplus to other collections, and free up some space. :rolleyes:
 
Just got back from 'shriek week' (the zoo was packed :rolleyes:)
A few notes:
-Saw one of the tamanduas awake, took a few pictures although they aren't great as they were taken on a compact.
-I thought that the old fossa enclosure was being demolished to start, then realised they had cut some trees down from inside it (only got to the zoo at 7 as I had been working, therefore it was dark :P)
-Brazilian white kneed tarantula has replaced the Costa Rican zebra legged tarantula in the discovery centre.
-Saw milena sitting up on the wall on the Leopard hill, until she shot off and started to growl when a load of screaming kids came along.
-The queue from the 'spooky train' stretched from the station all the way up to the king vulture aviary.
 
I have just got backfrom Shriek Week too, and I have to concur, don't think I've ever seen the zoo so busy! An absolute nightmare when you're trying to photograph something interesting and some kid in a mask shoves in your way and accidentally elbows you in the crotch. At times like that, it makes me just want to smack them with my SLR lens... :rolleyes:

Of more important matters:
- I also saw one of the long-tailed tamanduas active, as well as one of the aardvarks outside.
- The common tenrecs and golden sedge reed frogs still weren't moving.
- It was interesting to see the feathertail glider habitat with the lights on- I was surprised by how large and open it seems.
- Even though Sasha was allowed out, all the veiwing areas were closed so you could presumably only see him from the road train.
- Finally saw the yellow-marginated box turtle that lives in with the Philippine sailfin lizard in Wilds of Asia.
 
I had a short visit this morning. It was very quiet and lovely.:)

The Sun bears were climbing up the logs and trying to get at some branches on the roof. Very good enrichment.

Rajang was at the back of the outdoor area with a blue barrell of goodies with Tiga nearby pondering on wether to come in then climbing on the logs. The third indoor room (small) is bordered up).

A new black and white colobus monkey has been born at the "OUT of Africa" exhibit.

The new asian enclosure is coming along really nicely.

Fineally pumpkins were being given to various animals. I fleetingly catched the sun bear talk at the end.
 
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Its cold enough for a Winter thread so lets start it with a trio of primate births.

0.0.1 Mandrill born 16/11/2010 bring the troop up to 26.

0.0.1 Buffy Headed Capuchin born 16/11/2010.

0.0.1 Cherry Crowned Mangabey born 11/11/2010
 
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