Chester Zoo Islands - Opening and impressions

As nobody has yet mentioned it, the AGM around Islands was quite uneventful, thanks in part to the low turn-out and presentations overrunning leaving little time for questions. Of the three/four that were asked, one was about an Upton Horticultural Society hut (what?!) but the best came from ChesterZooFan, who mentioned the decline in the TripAdvisor ratings after the opening of Islands but didn't really receive a satisfactory response.

News: tigers moved today (unverified), will be off-show for about two weeks, acclimatise for another two weeks and then that part of Islands will open. Orangs move in "late autumn". Free-flight birds will be introduced and the Monsoon Forest closed for the week prior to the half-term holiday.

Current cost of Islands is £39M. Santander have provided funds of £15M of which £10M has been spent.
 
giant_anteater said:
Have any of the free-flight birds been introduced to the Monsoon Forest yet? And if not does anybody have any idea when they will?
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They are closing the Monsoon house for one week commencing 12th October, which is when the birds will be introduced.
 
SMR said:
As nobody has yet mentioned it, the AGM around Islands was quite uneventful, thanks in part to the low turn-out and presentations overrunning leaving little time for questions.
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Shame I was working! Used to enjoy asking awkward questions at AGMs. Sadly I think they would draw non-answers these days.

Would it be cynical to think that letting presentations over-run thus cutting down time for questions would be convenient ... ?
 
SMR said:
News: tigers moved today (unverified), will be off-show for about two weeks, acclimatise for another two weeks and then that part of Islands will open. Orangs move in "late autumn". Free-flight birds will be introduced and the Monsoon Forest closed for the week prior to the half-term holiday.

Current cost of Islands is £39M. Santander have provided funds of £15M of which £10M has been spent.
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In early July weren't they saying "full opening by late summer" or similar?
 
SMR said:
Current cost of Islands is £39M. Santander have provided funds of £15M of which £10M has been spent.
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So has the only borrowed £15 million to fund islands and used £30 million on its own money.?
 
When you say the tigers are moving, I'm assuming the two in spirit of the jaguar are staying put?
 
Nisha said:
They've gone - left in June for Obterre, France and Wroclaw in Poland
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Fair enough. Didn't realise, I've not been since late May, hoping to get down in the next few weeks and renew my membership.

Am I right in thinking Fabi and Kirana currently have Cubs?
 
Photos of the new tiger exhibit now on the Islands blog. Think there are some exciting aspects and is a big improvement on their old exhibit, but the planting leaves a lot to be desired (as with the anoa and babirusa enclosures). Will be interesting to see how they use the space.
 
ChesterZooFan said:
Photos of the new tiger exhibit now on the Islands blog. Think there are some exciting aspects and is a big improvement on their old exhibit, but the planting leaves a lot to be desired (as with the anoa and babirusa enclosures). Will be interesting to see how they use the space.
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Yes the planting does look a bit sparse. but i guess that will improve with time.

The size of the enclosure looks very impressive, and now Islands gets its keystone species, despite how good the rest of it is, its needed the tigers or orangutans to move in.

I can see me spending a long time in islands over the nice quiet winter months.
 
jde7582 said:
I can see me spending a long time in islands over the nice quiet winter months.
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Same here. Can't beat visiting Chester between Christmas and New year when the sun is shining and the zoo is quiet! My favourite time to visit!
 
Does anyone have a full overview of the different phases of Islands. After the Orangs and Tigers are moved over what other mammals are likely to be moved over? I heard whisperings of Tapir's but where are they going to be situated?
Does anyone else think that a Australian section of Chester Zoo is a good idea ie koala bears, Endagered species of Kangaroo?
 
Any marsupial would be good. Chester's great but that's a big gap in my opinion. I was hoping they might get some marsupials from Papua for islands.
 
GeorgeMcCormick said:
Does anyone have a full overview of the different phases of Islands. After the Orangs and Tigers are moved over what other mammals are likely to be moved over? I heard whisperings of Tapir's but where are they going to be situated?
Does anyone else think that a Australian section of Chester Zoo is a good idea ie koala bears, Endagered species of Kangaroo?
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Tapir enclosure land is between monsoon forest and tiger enclosure, and the komodo house, enclosure will sit between the banteng area and bridge as you go down into sumatra/tiger enclosure. theres a bridge and small water inlet there taht will create the island effect.
Will be Tapir first, then Komodo.
 
it was nice to see the Tigers venturing outside in their new enclosure yesterday . i was told the path with be opening hopefully within the next few days
 
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