Chester Zoo Asian Plains

taun said:
You're right it wont work unless they seriously look at investing in some decent drainage. However 2 tonne of rhino walk over the top will probably break any pipe they lied under ground. Even soakaways or filter drains would not help enough.
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Actually that reminds me, in the corner of the Black Rhino exhibit (by the meerkat statue) there is a large green lid which is fenced off.

I presume it is some type of drainage system as that area usually has deep floods whenever ive been after a period of bad rain.
 
CZJimmy said:
Actually that reminds me, in the corner of the Black Rhino exhibit (by the meerkat statue) there is a large green lid which is fenced off.

I presume it is some type of drainage system as that area usually has deep floods whenever ive been after a period of bad rain.
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It may well be, I'll check it out. The huge difference is that Black rhino hardly venture out of there house even in decent weather. Where as the Indian rhinos seem to enjoy most weather (helps when you have a nice heated pool to lie in ;))
 
CZJimmy said:
Actually that reminds me, in the corner of the Black Rhino exhibit (by the meerkat statue) there is a large green lid which is fenced off.

I presume it is some type of drainage system as that area usually has deep floods whenever ive been after a period of bad rain.
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In that case, it doesn't work very well ;)
 
redpanda said:
In that case, it doesn't work very well ;)
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It only went in about 2 months ago as it was decided they had to do something with the drainage in the enclosure after the tunnel under the path became one very deep new pond after a couple of days of heavy rain.
 
taun said:
. The huge difference is that Black rhino hardly venture out of there house even in decent weather. Where as the Indian rhinos seem to enjoy most weather (helps when you have a nice heated pool to lie in ;))
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Its interesting how Chester's Black Rhino mostly prefer being indoors to outside. Many times in the past I have seen the different rhinos (Esther, Parky, Quinto, Pangani, Rosie etc) when shut outside, standing or pacing the small concreted area by the doors, clearly wanting to be let back in. I think this stems from them being conditioned to being fed and shut indoors, outside of visitor hours, as at Port Lympne their Black Rhinos are quite the opposite, looking relaxed and almost always outside-at least in summer.

Regarding Chester's 'Asian Plains' paddock- Its a nice idea but I think eventually they will discover this just won't work anymore when two full grown rhinos are using it- the area simply isn't big enough to be shared. I don't think there is anywhere in their respective natural ranges where Brow-antlered deer, blackbuck and Rhino are all found in the same area anyway, though they may have been historically.
 
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Spoke to a kepper today - They plan to allow the grass to grow back and assess the situation middle of summer to see if the animals can go back on the paddock.
 
Wouldn't it have made more sense not to let the enclosure get in such a state in the first place?
 
bongorob said:
Wouldn't it have made more sense not to let the enclosure get in such a state in the first place?
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Yes, or sorted the drainage issues first before letting two two and a half tonne rhino's (Okay not yet but will be) on it!
 
Actually, I suspect that the deer cause almost as much of a problem as the rhinos: they are much lighter - but the surface area of their hooves is much smaller than the rhinos' feet, so they exert quite a pressure and sink into the muddy patches more - although they tend to avoid the muddiest areas.
Just look at the Philippine spotted deer in their paddock after a spell of rain - you can't blame the rhinos for that.

Alan
 
Ah, I never considered the ratio of foot size to weight. I'll look at the Spotted deer after the next lot of rain.
 
Its just the combination that is wrong. Either have the Deer and blackbuck in an attractive grassy paddock, or the Rhino pair in a muddy morass. The two just don't work together in my opinion..
 
Pertinax said:
Its just the combination that is wrong. Either have the Deer and blackbuck in an attractive grassy paddock, or the Rhino pair in a muddy morass. The two just don't work together in my opinion..
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Sending the deer and blackbuck to one of the empty paddocks in west zoo would be the best bet (at least until the African Savannah is developed) i.e. lechwe to old wallaby one and the deer/blackbuck in the old pere david's deer enclosure.
 
All the species were out and about on the Paddock today.

The Asian Rhinos were having a good go at eating all the new shoots of grass (well Patna seemed more interested in food ;) ). The paddock still loks terrible. :(
 
taun;184833The Asian Rhinos were having a good go at eating all the new shoots of grass (well Patna seemed more interested in food ;) ). The paddock still loks terrible. :([/QUOTE said:
It will continue to do so. At Whipsnade the Indian rhinos have much larger paddocks(not shared with anything else) and they continually graze them so that the grass is always very short. Chester's paddock will continue to look like it does while the Rhinos use it.
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