karoocheetah
Well-Known Member
On the map, the whole idea is to explore the islands, having a map is cheating!
Agreed - but have you seen the latest Chester Map
some might say that you'd be better off without it!!Chester Zoo The Islands development - planning, development and build (2012-2015)
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Agreed - but have you seen the latest Chester Map
some might say that you'd be better off without it!!
prawnie1975
Well-Known Member
Agreed - but have you seen the latest Chester Map
When Friends and family go with me... they don't need one lol , my Dad calls me a walking map
karoocheetah
Well-Known Member
When Friends and family go with me... they don't need one lol , my Dad calls me a walking map
Yes you are not alone in that respect - but regular zoo attenders aside for those who DO need a map the current offering is not the best - better than last years - but still not the best - judging by the number of lost people I help out it's either a bad map or people are crap at reading maps - I leave it to the individual to decide!
prawnie1975
Well-Known Member
i don't think its that bad , i find it easy to follow but then again i know the place backwards .... will be interesting to see what the updated version will be like .... i did notice around the zoo earlier that some signs have been taken down so i presume they will be replaced by new ones ... i just can't remember where i saw them
i don't think its that bad , i find it easy to follow but then again i know the place backwards .... will be interesting to see what the updated version will be like .... i did notice around the zoo earlier that some signs have been taken down so i presume they will be replaced by new ones ... i just can't remember where i saw them
I haven't visited in ages, but I've got a copy of the 2005 guide book, and the map in that looks way better than the current one!
prawnie1975
Well-Known Member
I can't remember that to be honest , i've been going since i was born so i don't tend to follow maps , maybe it should be mentioned as a suggestion to make them better
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It's a crap map, people do not seem to get lost in other zoos that have maps, it's just Chester. The best example I have is someone by glorious grasses asking me where the lions were as they couldn't work it out from the map. They were at 90 degrees to the lions.
ChesterZooFan
Well-Known Member
All visitors to Islands will have to pass through an 'embarkation point' in 'Coral Sands' (the first zone) which will be the start of their journey. They will be handed a special Islands exploration map by a ranger and will be encouraged to explore the exhibits, find clues to the animals that inhabit each Island and identify the real life risks that threaten each species in the wild ( e.g. bird trade/ bush meat etc). At the end of the Islands journey they will pass by the 'end point' where they will hand in their findings to a ranger.
I also believe the full zoo map will be amended to include Islands - if you look at the current map there is a large space already in the top right corner ready for Islands to be added in!
The idea behind Islands is an exploration of, and journey through, each individual habitat hence why there will be a clear 'one way' system to allow the visitor to experience the different habitats in a logical and easy way. Guests will be able to go against the flow if they choose, to revisit and exhibit etc and as has been mentioned there are several 'cut throughs' along the route to allow those with less time or regular visitors to access specific zones rather than having to walk the whole route. The one way system is also designed to manage the volume of guests and prevent too many bottle necks. (I understand the aim of the long term 'natural vision' plan is to create much more easy to navigate routes through the whole zoo - which is fair to say is a bit of a maze currently).
The boat ride will carry over 1,000 people per hour, and the queue system has a capacity for 1,000 people. On busy days when the zoo gets 15,000 plus visitors there is no way they will all be able to do the boat ride. I can imagine at peak times this will cause at disappointment or frustration - I can see the irate parents and upset children already ...one to avoid on a busy weekend me thinks!!
Regarding empty enclosures left vacated the only ones I am not certain about the back fill are cassowary, banteng and warty pig - anyone have any ideas??
....... Anyway only 2 weeks to go is everyone else beyond excited??!!
ChesterZooFan
Well-Known Member
Forgot to mention ....
I found out that the members previews have been managed to stagger the volume of visitors over the 3 preview days. This is to allow the animals to get used to a small number of visitors to start with building up to bigger crowds through the weekend.
So, Friday will have a limited number of guests, with more allowed access on Saturday and even more on Sunday. Also, there will be fewer guests in the morning than the afternoon- with more allowed access every hour.
So, for those of us lucky enough to have the 10am Friday slot we will be the smallest preview group of all!
I found out that the members previews have been managed to stagger the volume of visitors over the 3 preview days. This is to allow the animals to get used to a small number of visitors to start with building up to bigger crowds through the weekend.
So, Friday will have a limited number of guests, with more allowed access on Saturday and even more on Sunday. Also, there will be fewer guests in the morning than the afternoon- with more allowed access every hour.
So, for those of us lucky enough to have the 10am Friday slot we will be the smallest preview group of all!
taun
Well-Known Member
Been to Colchester?
cassowary, pass
Bantang is off the beaten path and at one of the talks was mentioned to be a holding exhibit, so like now the bantang are only there until islands. This exhibit will be used as temporary housing for animals.
Warty pigs, expect to be warty pigs in there. Mentioned before that some species will end up with doubling up.
Not long and certainly looking forward to it, which is why I think I will be avoiding this forum until I have been.
ChesterZooFan
Well-Known Member
I can't think they will double up - there is no reason for them to as they are already in 1 group, unlike babirusa who are currently in 3 enclosures.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't be at all surprised if they have 2 groups of Visayan Warty Pig,not say they will but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.I would be more surprised if they brought in another pig species,but given in the past the other that is about and fits has been ruled out due to question marks of the parentage of the species,it would surprise me alot!
As for the other areas that you have mentioned ever thought they might just fence them off and use it as off-show housing!!!
Assuming you refer to Bornean Bearded Pig, I'd be bloody surprised if they were brought into Chester too considering the fact they are now held in only three collections, the population is now quite elderly and - as far as I know - all the males have been castrated to ensure no breeding takes place due to the aforementioned concerns about the genetic heritage of the population!
As such I suspect the species will have died off in Europe come the end of the decade.
I sense a "Sense of Humour Failure" coming on already!
Anybody asking me to fill in a worksheet and return it at the end will get pretty short shrift.
adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Just a quick one what about people with Dyslexia is their a way they can participate in this (IMO) this is a good idea but will people get the chance to not take part in it.
Back on the Dyslexia I have taken people to the zoo in the past with Dyslexia so I presume their will be others.
Back on the Dyslexia I have taken people to the zoo in the past with Dyslexia so I presume their will be others.
prawnie1975
Well-Known Member
i am very excited , i booked the day off work so i could go on the 10th (11am im slotted in ) already told who im going with that we need to get there early on that day and all
I wouldn't be surprised if the whole zoo ends up being one huge collection of pigs (with some birds, but all off-show). Mentioning no names [cough] Tim [cough]
East Zoo is already far simpler than it once was. I'm still convinced one-way systems don't work, the animals don't play ball and neither do the visitors, especially the regular variety.
taun
Well-Known Member
I don't understand this?
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