Babirusa in UK collections

paddocks at this end of the zoo will be turned into a savannah area, it seems the most likely use for it continuing the themed area from the rhino, meerkat, warthog and lechwe and the planned aviary. Surely giraffe and zebra along with antelope would use up most of the paddock space available in that area, do you think a common hippo exhibit is still on the drawing board somewhere?

kiang,

I thought the lechwe were sited at the centre of Chester Zoo inbetween the spotted deer and the onager/camel exhibit in the Asian section. From your story line I figure ... Have they moved on to pastures new?
 
The lechwe moved in 2006 to the paddock alongside the original black rhino house. For many years it was home to a small herd of eland and a colony of prairie marmots. It had previously housed the zoo's warthog, and before that black rhinos, and furthur back Sable Antelope. It can be connected to the Tsavo rhino house via a tunnel and the original rhino house by gates.

The meerkats have a small house and enclosure on the north side. It was intended to allow the meerkats to have access to the entire paddock. This lasted for about 2 days, it was almost impossible to get them to return to their shelter at night.

The tunnel for the rhinos seemed a good idea, until the first heavy rainstorm. It flooded.

The old lechwe enclosure is still empty.

I don't think Chester will keep Common Hippos any more. Perhaps they will obtain some Pygmy Hippos in the future.

An African savannah area was proposed for the area south of the zebra enclosure, the last I heard was this scheme had been scrapped owing to the Super Zoo project.
 
The lechwe moved in 2006 to the paddock alongside the original black rhino house. For many years it was home to a small herd of eland and a colony of prairie marmots. It had previously housed the zoo's warthog, and before that black rhinos, and furthur back Sable Antelope. .

It also used to house Brazilian Tapirs and Capybaras before their move to their current enclosure.
 
Sorry I forgot about the Alpaca, Tapirs and Capybara. I didn't know about the Guanaco.

I think the Capybara must hold the record for the most moved species at Chester. I've known them to be kept in the Camel House, an enclosure where the penguins are now, a smaller enclosure approximately where the goats are, the waterfowl enclosure which is now the reed bed next to the elephants, the lechwe enclosure and their present home.
 
That is a lot of movements. Just out of interest were the Pelicans ever kept in the reedbed, i seem to have some memories of them being there.
 
I'm not sure, pelicans were once kept in what is now the flamingo pool across from the penguins. Since the enclosure you mention was for waterfowl you may be right.
 
ah yes. I dont remember it very well though. What other animals were kept in the reedbed before??

On the occasion of the North of England Zoological Society's 50th Anniversary, I made a lsit of animals which were on show in the zoo.

On 13th June 1984 this enclosure housed,

Crane, Demoiselle
Duck, Mandarin; Maned; White-faced Whistling
Goose, Hawaiian; Red-breasted; Ross' Snow
Mallard
Pintail, Greater Bahaman
Pochard, Rosy-billed
Shoveller, Red
Swan, Black (4 cygnets hatched May 1984)
Teal, Laysan
Wigeon, Chiloe; European

I heard also that a beaver may have been kept in this exhibit for a short while in the 1970s.
 
On the occasion of the North of England Zoological Society's 50th Anniversary, I made a lsit of animals which were on show in the zoo.

On 13th June 1984 this enclosure housed,

Crane, Demoiselle
Duck, Mandarin; Maned; White-faced Whistling
Goose, Hawaiian; Red-breasted; Ross' Snow
Mallard
Pintail, Greater Bahaman
Pochard, Rosy-billed
Shoveller, Red
Swan, Black (4 cygnets hatched May 1984)
Teal, Laysan
Wigeon, Chiloe; European

I heard also that a beaver may have been kept in this exhibit for a short while in the 1970s.
Almost nearly but not quite the Bevers were kept for a while in the old small mammal house in i think the right hand one as you went in,i believe they were moved in due to a tree falling into their enclosure and them getting out which was not the first time or the last,as 1 of the males end up at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum!
 
I liked the old Small Mammal House. I have a photo of a grison taken there in 1967 which for many years I thought was a ratel.
 
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