Agreed, it was sad to lose them, especially for this! It doesn't look like it has been done cheaply and it seems odd to spend so much on an exhibit for something people can see at their local garden centre or pet shop for nothing!
I believe I'm right in saying the Koi came from the estate of the late Raymond Sawyer, and were quite an unexpected and sudden new arrival at the zoo, necessitating a new exhibit in short order. Mr Sawyer was on very good terms with the Tropeano family, which owns Colchester Zoo, and he wanted his Koi to go to the zoo. (The zoo's giant tortoises also belonged to Mr Sawyer and were deposited at the zoo following his death.) I quite agree though: it is a pity the Pygmy Gliders have gone. Now they really were something special, whereas Koi can be seen in almost every ornamental park or garden, and in many pet shops.
