Chessington Zoo Chessington Zoo News 2012
- Thread starter uszoo
- Start date
I visited Chessington WOA today for one of the 'Zoo Days' . The paths at both ends of the Gorilla area were closed with a notice stating the group were being given privacy due to the recent birth . Some of the gorillas could be seen through a gap in the fence and from a distance at the top of the enclosures .
With a warm , sunny day there were crowds of visitors . My first visit for at least 10 years . I liked the new African Safari area .
With a warm , sunny day there were crowds of visitors . My first visit for at least 10 years . I liked the new African Safari area .
How could you access the Tigers- only by going round from the other end of the Big Cat area?
It was planned to relocate both the gorillas and the big cats to the 22 acre field. Year on year Tussuads kept telling the council via the Zoo Inspections that they would be going ahead and doing this. It never happened as they decided to build the "safari" hotel first meaning the monkeys in Monkey walk had to be rehoused or moved from the collection.
The indoor extension to the left of the main cage was only granted temporary planning permission of something like 5 years and was planned for Kumba after he got kicked out of the group by the females. Even this was delayed - they had planning permission for quite sometime before going ahead. I suspect Tussuads management thought he may die so hung on. Fortunately, he is a tough old male and it's nice to know he is still with us.
Of course, after all this Merlin took over who no doubt had their own plans for development and expansion.
You can still access the Cats area from both ends , instead of continuing to the Gorillas you go back up to the main path . The run of Gorilla enclosures covers quite a distance now , I was very disappointed not to be able to see it close up . It is totally opposite to the 'aesthetically pleasing' Regent's Park set-up , but I suspect better suited to the gorillas . I could see several animals up on the top level of the cages with a keeper doing a scatter feed from the platform above .
I also noted nice big active groups of Colombian spider monkeys ( the latest born Dec. 2011 ) and Alaotran gentle lemurs . A third Andean condor in juvenile plumage was in with the pair - not certain if this was the one bred a couple of years ago or whether they bred again in 2011 ( anybody know ? ) .
It is a direct copy of the Howletts cages and modelled on them. The indoor bedroom areas, which are all off show, have developed piecemeal around the outside cage. As JD states above, I think the one nearest the Zoo entrance only has planning permission for a few years but maybe they can get it renewed.
Willard
Well-Known Member
Gorilla groups
After I was notified of the birth of Asili's baby I have updated my Chessington gorilla family tree, using some very helpful information from Pertinax and Jordan-Jaguar97 - thank you! I've also corrected a major error: In the previous version I had mixed up the two Kumba's which must have been quite confusing for anyone having a closer look at the tree.
Concerning the breeding group the layout is still unsatisfying, so I'm going to upload a tree for Damisi's group soon. 
The current tree: Gorilla Family - Chessington | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
After I was notified of the birth of Asili's baby I have updated my Chessington gorilla family tree, using some very helpful information from Pertinax and Jordan-Jaguar97 - thank you! I've also corrected a major error: In the previous version I had mixed up the two Kumba's which must have been quite confusing for anyone having a closer look at the tree.
Concerning the breeding group the layout is still unsatisfying, so I'm going to upload a tree for Damisi's group soon. The current tree: Gorilla Family - Chessington | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The two different Kumba's at Chessington have always been a bit confusing- I always referred to them as 'Jersey' Kumba and 'Chessington's own' Kumba.
However,your accompanying info still isn't quite right as the Chessington Kumba arrived with Baffia in 1969/70. They replaced the previous pair; Anduan(who had died) and Lomie(who was transferred to London.) For a very short while after they arrived, they had Lomie + the babies Kumba & Baffia before Lomie left, but not housed together.
However,your accompanying info still isn't quite right as the Chessington Kumba arrived with Baffia in 1969/70. They replaced the previous pair; Anduan(who had died) and Lomie(who was transferred to London.) For a very short while after they arrived, they had Lomie + the babies Kumba & Baffia before Lomie left, but not housed together.
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Willard
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the correction, Pertinax!
Here is my tree for Damisi's group, in two versions:
Gorilla Family - Chessington - Damisi's Group (Version 1) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Gorilla Family - Chessington - Damisi's Group (Version 2) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Here is my tree for Damisi's group, in two versions:
Gorilla Family - Chessington - Damisi's Group (Version 1) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Gorilla Family - Chessington - Damisi's Group (Version 2) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Gorilla webcam
Chessington have a good Gorilla webcam on their site- one of the better ones I've seen. If they are active you can see Asili with her new baby- she is the one walking 'three-legged' supporting her baby with her other hand. The previous baby Mbula, is already a playful juvenile. He just happens to be 3 years old today!
The cam. for the 2nd group appears not to be working.
Chessington have a good Gorilla webcam on their site- one of the better ones I've seen. If they are active you can see Asili with her new baby- she is the one walking 'three-legged' supporting her baby with her other hand. The previous baby Mbula, is already a playful juvenile. He just happens to be 3 years old today!
The cam. for the 2nd group appears not to be working.
Mr T
Well-Known Member
Chessington have a good Gorilla webcam on their site- one of the better ones I've seen. If they are active you can see Asili with her new baby- she is the one walking 'three-legged' supporting her baby with her other hand. The previous baby Mbula, is already a playful juvenile. He just happens to be 3 years old today!
The cam. for the 2nd group appears not to be working.
Any chance of a link?
Willard
Well-Known Member
Gorilla webcams
Webcams on Chessington's HP Gorillas at Chessington World of Adventures
and on Facebook Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Theme Park, Zoo/Aquarium - Chessington, United Kingdom - Gorillacam | Facebook
(Info courtesy of Google
)
Webcams on Chessington's HP Gorillas at Chessington World of Adventures
and on Facebook Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Theme Park, Zoo/Aquarium - Chessington, United Kingdom - Gorillacam | Facebook
(Info courtesy of Google
)A baby Gorilla has been born to Mother Shanga and Ftaher Damisi as i just saw on their facebook page i dont know the DOB or Sex. At last seems they are finally allowing them to breed again rather than contracepting them. This is Silverback Damisi's 3rd offspring since arriving at chessington in June 2008.
GB
GB
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
I am puzzled and very curious as to this. I know 'Asili' had a youngster about five months ago about February/March time. Does this mean that this is their third birth?
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
Damisi's group now consists of 2.4 including him. 'Shani' one of the females was the first Gorilla to be born at Chessington in 1990. Shani's daughter 'Buu' had the first offspring of Damisi at Chessington 'Mbula' who is still currently at Chessington.
I suspect that when the other group's silverback 'Kumba' dies then the plan will be to merge his current group with Damisi's group and create one group. I think they will have to send 'Kumi' away though he's getting more to the age of a blackback in a few years.
That is very good news. 'Shangha' is already eleven years old so really needed to be bred from now. I just hope this baby is a female though. Even the next female down 'Kumili' is already eight so old enough to breed too but afaik she's still in the other group with Kumba(her grandfather)/Baffia and her half-brother Kuni.
That is almost certainly the plan- I think Kumba has lived much longer than expected, after having a couple of debilitating strokes a few years ago, but from which he seemed to recover fully.
I think its better to keep young males in the groups they were born into as long as possible-its far more natural than removing them at e.g. 6-8 years old- they wouldn't leave naturally at this age in the wild. Even in zoos some will still live compatably with their parents/older relatives as they mature. But on the other hand obviously its easier to form male groups using younger animals in this age group so that's why they get removed then. Also, in Kuni's case, as Damisi does not currently live with him he may reject him if/when they merge the groups.
Chessington Update.
Nisha has posted a video of the new baby Gorilla on the European Gorillas thread. Sure hope this one's a female...
The way they talk about them rather hides the fact they control their breeding here and although they have three babies, the group is not at full breeding potential as they could breed still from more animals- Shangha has only now been allowed to breed for the first time at age 11, while presumably 'Shangha's mother 'Shani' is still being contracepted as she has not bred since 2004(Kuni) while Asili's daughter 'Kumili' in the other group is eight years old and could breed now too (if she was allowed to). I think this may be due to the space restrictions but despite that they won't release females to other zoos-apart from Mjuku to ZSL and that was only very reluctantly under pressure from the EEP. I don't know of any other zoos where breeding is so strictly controlled as here.
Ironically London still has to sucessfully rear a baby from Mjujku, who could certainly have done so already if she had remained at Chessington and if she was allowed to breed there.
Nisha has posted a video of the new baby Gorilla on the European Gorillas thread. Sure hope this one's a female...
The way they talk about them rather hides the fact they control their breeding here and although they have three babies, the group is not at full breeding potential as they could breed still from more animals- Shangha has only now been allowed to breed for the first time at age 11, while presumably 'Shangha's mother 'Shani' is still being contracepted as she has not bred since 2004(Kuni) while Asili's daughter 'Kumili' in the other group is eight years old and could breed now too (if she was allowed to). I think this may be due to the space restrictions but despite that they won't release females to other zoos-apart from Mjuku to ZSL and that was only very reluctantly under pressure from the EEP. I don't know of any other zoos where breeding is so strictly controlled as here.
Ironically London still has to sucessfully rear a baby from Mjujku, who could certainly have done so already if she had remained at Chessington and if she was allowed to breed there.