Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2016

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banham.tiger

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10+ year member
This year the zoo will continue to build the new outdoor chimp enclosure. We will also see a new enclosure for the slender snouted crocodiles. The zoo will also continue with attempts to breed the Amur leopards.

Apart from the new "chimpanzee lookout" I do not think that there will be any other new enclosures for 2016.

The new train station is due to open at Easter.
 
banham.tiger said:
A new male mandrill has arrived from Germany. His name is Gismo.
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It would be nice if they gave some explanation of why they have brought in a new male at this time. Presumably because since the death of the previous one, they need a new breeding male that is unrelated to the females, including those born there, and because all the other males in the group are castrated(?)- it says he's being introduced to the females first, and then the males- this isn't mentioned but I doubt that they would be able to add him successfully to these other adult males otherwise.
 
visited today they have now got a 3rd female ostrich seems younger and smaller than the others, keeps away from the other 3
 
Snippets of news from Facebook/Zoo website;

-The zoo won the Star Award for Best Family Attraction in Essex for the 3rd year running!
-On the 24th October the zoo welcomed the arrival of two male donkeys from Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire, one named Dougal and the other named Drew!
- Curu, the komodo dragon, has been moved over to the ‘Islands of Komodo’ exhibit.He is currently off show whist he adjusts.
-A female Fennec Fox ,Sammy, arrived from Chessington World of Adventures on 13th January 2016. Sammy is living in her new home at ‘Lion Rock’ in a neighbouring enclosure to the male Fennec fox, Sudan.
-The new restaurant Penguinis has been opened.
 
On a visit to the zoo late last week I noticed that during the elephant feed that the keeper mentioned that the zoo hopes to continue to breed their elephants in the future...so I was just wondering if anyone was aware of plans to do this soon or by future do they mean well into the future, as the last time I am aware they attempted to breed their elephants was in 2008 when their female, Zola, sadly lost her calf.
 
Francois Langurs

Anyone know what has happened to them? For about a year there has been a sign on the lion tailed macaque enclosure saying it would be developed for the langurs.Yesterday, I noticed the sign had gone. There was brand new Signage for the macaques too and at least 4 left in the group!
 
pipaluk said:
.Yesterday, I noticed the sign had gone. There was brand new Signage for the macaques too and at least 4 left in the group!
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I believe this group has stood at 4 animals for a long time now. Maybe the planned move is not going ahead.
 
A few things I noticed from a visit this morning:

- Firstly, all signage for the long-tailed tamandua has been taken down, its indoor enclosure is being renovated and there was no sign of it in any of the indoor enclosures. I rather suspect the worst, considering how old it was.
- The Fregate Island giant beetles have been moved off-show in the Discovery Centre. Their enclosure is now occupied by the salmon pink bird-eating tarantula and their former enclosure is now occupied by a Costa Rican tiger-rump tarantula, a new species in the collection.
- Saw four ostriches (three female and one male) - I wasn't aware that a third female had arrived at all.
- Was pleased to see that there are still at least two black-backed jackals (currently visible from the ramp up to the elephant house while the road train in unavailable).
- The Philippine sailfin lizard is now in the Iguana Walkthrough, as several of its former enclosures are now occupied by young Komodo dragons.
- The outdoor enclosure for Chimp Lookout continues progress - the heated outdoor cave is now being built and is also going to be an extremely tall enclosure.
 
MagpieGoose said:
Colchester Zoo welcomes back the Striated caracara! - ZOO NEWS - Colchester Zoo
Here's a link with more info on its arrival from ZSL London Zoo.
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Nothing particularly exciting, I would suggest one post on this would have been sufficient! I love Colchester, but this really isn't an arrival that will make any difference to the zoo IMHO!
Just to back up my lack of enthusiasm for this announcement, ZTL lists 23 other holders of this species in the UK! Not quite a meerkat, ASCO or ring-tailed lemur, but definitely not something out of the ordinary!
 
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My first post for years:

Visited yesterday and noticed that the zoo is now down to it's last timber wolf. There was a sign up at the enclosure stating that 'Two-Socks' was PTS on 15/2/16, and that they hope to bring more wolves into the collection soon to join Dakota, the remaining animal.
 
To be honest I think the zoo would be better of bringing in maned wolves. The enclosure at the zoo is not really big enough for a pack so a pair of maned wolves would be better suited. Or perhaps the jackals could move in instead.
 
I'm not sure they would want to go back to maned wolves The ones they had before were very active, but didn't have the attraction of actual wolves. I agree the enclosure isn't big enough for a proper pack IMHO.
 
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dean said:
I'm not sure they would want to go back to maned wolves The ones they had before w ago.ere very active, but didn't have the attraction of actual wolves. I agree the enclosure isn't big enough for a proper pack IMHO.
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I do wonder if a careful selection of what might be termed Iron Age species (e.g. Grey Wolf, Eurasian Beaver, Common Crane, White-tailed Eagle) might be attempted in the reserve area at the back. I would like to see Maned Wolves make a return to Colchester; they are not as frequently seen in the UK as was the case twenty odd years
 
Abridged from FB;

The thud of tiny rhino feet are to be heard at Colchester Zoo once again!
We are happy to announce the exciting news that our female white rhino Emily is pregnant after breeding naturally with Otto, our male rhino.
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On a visit from yesterday;

-A new male wolf has arrived from a zoo in France...the "Call of the wild" enclosure was closed so the new male can settle in and "Dakota" has been moved into an off show part of the enclosure and they will aim to mix them at a later date

-The Chimp outside enclosure is still making slow progress but is starting to take shape and seems quite impressive

-On the 10th February 2016, Pippa, the dominant female Meerkat gave birth to four pups.
 
Had a good visit to the zoo today.

- I saw that the new crocodile enclosure has been finished and there is also a outside enclosure for them which is fantastic.

- work has come along nicely on the new chimp enclosure however I do not think its going to be finished until the autumn/winter time.

- The display lawn has been given a small revamp.

- The primate and bird enclosures opposite the male leopard enclosure is closed and its going to be revamped.
 
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