Chester Zoo My Chester Zoo Visit 29-08-2011

adrian1963

adrian1963

Well-Known Member
Got on the coach around 8.15am to travel to Chester after not stopping arrived around 10.30 a small queue were waiting at the main entrance but thanks to the coach company we were fast tracked in with advanced tickets.
The weather was a little overcast with rain approaching fast; I was surprised with our quiet the zoo was for a bank holiday weekend this time last year it was packed but not today.
I only came today to look at the bird collection mainly so this report will miss some locations out (sorry)
The Condor enclosure was quite large with a nice try at a mountain surface to the rear but the greenery could do with tiding up a little.
On walking round missed the butterfly house out (did like it last time I was here) and there were no Giraffes or Giant anteater out on display (Giraffes were still in house)
The Anteater enclosure was very untidy and if it had been out it would have been hard to stop walked over the bridge to the Tropical Realm and the Giraffe House.
Giraffe house first a fairly nice sized indoor area but why do ALL zoos have to have Concrete floors for the animals inside area’s why not put some straw or even sand down to take the cold concrete from their feet, walking through the door to the Okapi’s one was inside the other was outside again the floor was cold looking and damp.
Now the Tropical Realm I loved this it was great to see so many bird species free flying and most were quite approachable to get good photographs close up and the display enclosures for the tortoises and frogs (especially impressive) were great the Philippine Crocodile enclosure I felt was a bit small but that’s just me.
The hornbill collection and the way they were displayed were just about right I must say a well done on this score, didn’t realise on my last visit that there was an upstairs in the Tropical Realm so was very surprised with this, a great place to spend a good couple of hours trying to spot all the bird species flying free.
The Jaguar house was as great as ever only let down was that there were no Jaguars to be seen, 2 of them were out in the enclosure with the waterfall in.
Realm of the Red Ape as like my report from last year still feel like the indoor enclosures remind me of Pits and something should be done to improve them (with all the money this building cost I think this is a massive let down to the zoo)
The elephant house a very nice approach to the house inside area was very good but again concrete flooring with no covering the size I feel is now getting a little small for the size of the herd outdoor exhibit was clean and tidy they had just raked the sand over when I arrived but the lack of grass does look a little strange for a elephant exhibit.
Moving around the zoo now I felt a little let down by the fact the aviaries around the zoo there were hardly any birds out on display but hey that’s the way it goes.
The paddocks areas are great but a little more greenery for privacy for the animals would go a long way to improve this area.
African wild dog enclosure now this seems to be a vast area of Orange what with the sand in the enclosure and then the Stupid Concrete walk way surely they could have done something better with the walkway with the money they spent or was the walkway last minute thought.
The enclosure itself looks great but I feel if we have a bad winter then it will surely turn to just mud as we could see on my visit after a down pour there were areas you could see the old surface through and it didn’t look that good but overall a very good enclosure for the amount of dogs they have, I just wonder where they will enlarge it to if they want to start breeding.
There were a great amount of newly born animals on show from Dwarf Mongoose to the Cheetha cubs I have many photographs will upload later
Now for the bad points thank god I was on my own without any kids because over the last couple of years I have noticed that here we have another zoo collection going for the money, and not for the enjoyment it used to bring to families at a reasonable price, by this I mean everywhere you looked there were Staff trying to get kids to WANT to buy something and don’t even get me started about the photographs for sale right in front of the toilets by the main exit I had to fight my way to the toilet (Health and Safety may want to take a look at this as the exit is a major fire exit)
Pricing of food and drink was very reasonable but as usual I took my own the zoo itself was very clean and staff very friendly got some great responses to questions asked but was asked not to mention answers on here at present, I got the feeling from some staff that they didn’t like this site because of constant speculation from some people that’s all I will say about this.
The lack of lawned area’s around the zoo was quite a shock as most families bring their own food these days I know they have new indoor picnic areas but these are very small compared to the lawned areas they have lost
My overall view of the day was a good one but I have had better in the past and was very shocked to see so few people in the zoo for a bank holiday, some great exhibits and some exhibits that need a little improving, clean and tidy a good day out

Overall total 7/10
 
Seven out of Ten!!!!
Still the best zoo in the uk though.
Ok I may be a bit bias as I live five minutes down the road.
Monkey Islands exhibit is top quality,as the monkeys have to forage through the chippings on the floor to find food, rather than it being placed on a shelf as in lots of other zoos I have visited.
On the subject of comersialism,the exit of the dinosaur exhibit is into the fountains shop,which is full of fluffy stuffed dinosaur toys the kids will just love.
Still,someones got to pay for the conservation programs around the world, so good luck I say
 
Given your focus on birds, did you get to see Europe On The Edge and the Tsavo Aviary (you didn't mention them)?

If Chester only gets seven out of ten I can't imagine how low all the lesser UK collections would be marked. I'm intrigued whether you're a very strict marker (perhaps comparing Chester with the absolute best in the world) or just a little idiosyncratic in your assessment?
 
No I am a realistic marker of zoos I think
On the parts I didn't mention I only had a few minutes in these parts of the zoo so could not appricate them like they should be.
I do like chester greatly but the fact it only got 7/10 was down to 2 things in particular the lack of green areas to eat in and the blocking of a major fire exit for selling to people on the way out if the exit area had not been blocked by the selling of photographs the overall score would have been 9/10
As I consider blocking of fire exits of any kind very serious but for the selling of photographs this I consider to be a very major problem (it maybe just me but keeping a fire exit clear saves lives or is it more important to save animal lives than human lives)

EDIT - This is not meeant to upset poeple it is just a report on what I feel about my visit as I don't go regulary like most people on here.
 
adrian1963 said:
...the lack of green areas to eat in...
Click to expand...
The increase in empty areas of grass has been a contentious issue. If you overlook the suggestion of having to eat in designated picnic areas (like most visitors do), then you have: the Coati Lawn, Fountain Lawns, the large area around Oakfield House, the Ark Lawn and the Rainbow (aka Arara) Lawn, never mind the picnic areas in the new hut across from the jaguars, by the painted dogs, by the waterbus terminal, outside the cheetah yurt, outside Café Bembe, next to the Jaguar Coffee House, in front of the Oaks Coffee Cabin, across from the Tropical Realm, alongside the Acorn Pub and next to the conservation golf.

Finding somewhere to have a butty really shouldn't be a problem. :confused:
 
SMR - Most of the areas you have mentioned I did not see much grass except for infront of the house and no one was using this area at all (don't know why)

EDIT - could someone please help me out what is happening with the gaint otters as the area to the side was all blocked off and a sign saying sorry for the inconvience but house being refurbished, but when you look through the gaps in the boarding all you can see is a large hole any one help
 
I believe the new indoor quarters for the giant otters will include a pool, which may explain why you saw a hole.

It's always interesting to read someone else's view of something that is very familiar to you. I think your comments are quite fair on the whole, but I would make a couple of points.
The interior of the elephant house is larger than you may have realised as there are 2 enclosures completely off-show. There is a small plan on the Zoolex website (ZooLex Exhibit
The floors of the elephant areas are not just concrete. Outside the sand floor may not be as attractive as grass, but it seems to be very much more suitable than the previous surfaces they have tried.

I agree that the internal areas of RotRA are not very beautiful, now that the Sumatrans have killed all the plants; but the networks of webbing strips are excellent for climbing and the orangs at Chester are much more active than they were in the old house.

Alan
 
adrian1963 said:
SMR - Most of the areas you have mentioned I did not see much grass except for infront of the house and no one was using this area at all (don't know why)
Click to expand...

Wet grass perhaps? There are usually people sitting on the lawn by the Oakfield, and also picnicing in the Fountain grdens area.
 
adrian1963 said:
Most of the areas you have mentioned I did not see much grass except for infront of the house...
Click to expand...
The Fountain Lawns are now (sadly) mostly grass and extend all the way from the lions to Islands in Danger. The Rainbow Lawn is all grass, as is the Coati Lawn and the large area between the play ark and June's Pavilion. Between them there are a good few acres available.

Rob makes a good point about (possibly) wet grass however.
 
SMR said:
Rob makes a good point about (possibly) wet grass however.
Click to expand...

I was in Cheshire on Saturday and it rained & rained and then rained a bit more. So that answers that one, Sunday was the same too, only takes a bit of rain to wet the grass too much for a picnic.

I think 7/10 is a honest score if we are giving scores as a rating system for Chester. I only go about once or twicw a year now as I feel it lacks 'character' compared to other places, I think many exhibits are too crammed in and some enclosures are too small. I get the impression they are trying to have too many different species their, more than they can exhibit/manage/store (choose your own word) appropriately. I appreciate that with the given space they have upgraded many buildings and exhibits over the years and continue to do so, but I believe it is a more 'claustrophobic' place than it was 10-20 years ago, and this is a downfall in my judgement. Saying that the Tropical Realm is however in my opinion worth the admission fee alone.
 
Pootle said:
I think many exhibits are too crammed in and some enclosures are too small. I get the impression they are trying to have too many different species their, more than they can exhibit/manage/store (choose your own word) appropriately. I appreciate that with the given space they have upgraded many buildings and exhibits over the years and continue to do so, but I believe it is a more 'claustrophobic' place than it was 10-20 years ago, and this is a downfall in my judgement. Saying that the Tropical Realm is however in my opinion worth the admission fee alone.
Click to expand...

If you don't like Chester for those reason don't visit Tierpark or Zoo Berlin then because you would hate them!!!
 
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