Komodo99
Well-Known Member
Like Water Dragon said in his review we visited Chester Zoo.I had been looking forward to visiting the zoo for a while.My last trip was last year and I expect I maybe able to visit later on in the year.
Elephants of the Asian Forest
Chester's elephants are definitely a large highlight of the zoo especially with the way they are housed.It was the first time in seven years since I last went inside the elephant house and I was not disappointed with the amount of species on show.We did get to see all members of the herd together at one point including the calves.
Paddocks
The paddocks are quite impressive for their size and for the large amount of species housed there are quite interesting as well.I was impressed with all enclosures except for the Sitatunga paddock because like everyone knows,they need a pool.The roan antelope had youngsters in the herd can anyone confirm when they were born?
African Wetland Aviary
This enclosure is very good for the species that it exhibits and was one of Water Dragons main highlights as he is a fan of exotic birds.
Islands
When I first visited Islands,I was absolutely blown away at the amount of work that had been put in towards making the experience as awe inspiring as possible.The species exhibited were also particularly special as some of the animals exhibited I had never seen until last year.Cassowary,Tentacled snake and the False Gharial were all huge lifeticks then.The tigers had a section fenced off,this could have been because of the construction or the finishing touches for the enclosure.It was nice to walk around Monsoon forest without all the crowds as we were treated to plenty of active animals including Eko the silvery gibbon and the free roaming argues pheasants.Plus,the Orang-utans were doing their best Jedi impressions.
Mkomazi Painted Dog Exhibit
The dogs were sleeping when we went and the aardvarks were absent from their enclosure.I won't repeat what Water Dragon said about the Hyraxes.
Tsavo Black Rhino Experience
Getting to see Kitani and Hazina was the main highlight of this exhibit,as well as Ema Elsa and Gabe,and one the other male was in the paddock next door to them.We also saw the off show male as well.The meerkats were not as active as they normally were and the porcupines were fast asleep when we got their.
Monkey Islands
The spider monkeys were being fed when we got there.The mandrills were busy foraging and three of the Buddy headed Capuchins were busy having a play fight than having their lunch.There is also a fountain that Water Dragon is quite interested in and wishes to have a discussion about.
Asian plains
The deer were'nt that active and the rhinos kept sticking their heads out and going away and doing the same thing for a while.I got a photo of one of the rhinos later on.
Minature Monkeys
This was my first time seeing this exhibit and it is an interesting exhibit but the glass was very steamed up when we visited but we did see the pied tamarins and Pygmy marmosets.
Fruit Bat Forest
Water Dragons favourite exhibit by far is this and it was an experience to behold.This was the first time I saw the tenrecs which were quite interesting.The bats were quite good as well despite me nearly stepping on two as they were flying quite low.Good thing is that there were no screaming kids in the house this time.
Bears of the Cloud Forest
Quite empty today as we only saw the Capybara having baths as the Tapirs,bears and anteater were no where to be seen due to large influx of school children.One of them thought it was appropriate to sing a song about Harambe near the bears.
Cheetahs
I'm a big fan of Big cats and the Cheetahs were my second highlight from last years trip as Kinky Tail came right up to the fence to see everyone while Safi was busy chasing Magpies.I only saw two cheetahs this time though and did'nt go into the yurt.
Lions.
I'm not the biggest fan of the lion enclosure especially if you compare it to what the other big cats have.Iblis was busy sleeping under a tree while Kiburi and Kumari were both sleeping on the sand.
Bush Dogs
The bush dogs were'nt as active as they were last year and just either splashed in the pool or led down in the sun.
Pudu enclosures
The old female cheetah enclosure had signage up for Southern Pudu while the old giant anteater enclosure still has Bert in it we only just glimpsed his head as he was relaxing under a hide.
Red Pandas,Parrots and Owls
The red pandas were active when we went as one was climbing around the top of one of the trees while the other one was busy sleeping.No sign of the Ecuadorean amazon except for the model one which excited Water Dragon.Only the Spectacled owls where out during our visit.
Dragons in Danger
Easily my favourite exhibit in the zoo,I just love the set up the Komodo dragons have with Jantan having a replica Indonesian hut on stilts as you would see if you visited Komodo or surrounding islands,finally saw the Montserrat Tarantula and the spiny tailed iguanas and ploughshare tortoises in together.The three female dragons Sathi,Lara and Mia are still at the zoo but are off show.Mezcal was very active as she was busy digging up the earth,basking on the rocks and even jumping into a bush to avoid some passing families.Hopefully in the next few years she should be put in with Jantan to mate as this is what the zoo is hoping to do.
Mongoose and Binturongs
As Water Dragon said the Binturongs were MIA when we visited,hopefully will be better viewing in Islands.I did'nt go into the mongoose tunnels as I am quite tall and would have more than likely hit my head(like I don't do that enough).
Giant Otters
It was feeding time when we arrived and I am quite impressed with the giant otter enclosure although it is the only one I have seen at this time period.
Sunken Garden
This is a beautiful place and the large sterlet was impressive.It's a shame that that people still toss coins in though.
Aquarium
This was my first time going into the aquarium in seven years and I was impressed with the amount of species that are housed there especially the salamanders.Unfortunetly I did not see The Doctor.Water Dragon misses the epaulette sharks though.
Penguins,Flamingoes and Europe on the Edge
We saw the penguin nursery from SLOTZ and the penguin talk and feed had just started when we arrived.It's always nice to see these animals accelerate underwater to catch their food.The flamingo lagoon is a good enclosure and Chester has a very successful breeding program for them because I saw a couple of small heads sticking out.Europe on the Edge is a very well done enclosure despite it's age and the species held are very interesting especially the waldrapp ibis.
Cattle House and Red River Hogs
The Congo buffalo were enjoying the nice weather and there was a horsebox still near the Malayan Tapirs.Betong was separated from the females.We saw the red river hogs and their piglets who where still suckling from mum.
Giraffes and Okapi
The whole giraffe herd was indoors enjoying some browse.Narus was at the back while Murchison had pushed his way to the front.Usala the okapi calf had come as close as she could to the fence to allow good close up photos.I'm not going to repeat what Water Dragon said but my highlight was of course the two Gaboon Vipers.It is a shame that Chester is getting rid the venomous snakes.
Tropical Realm
I only saw the Tuatara,Tortoises,Caiman lizards,Caimans,Emerald Tree Boa,Mr Parsons and the mouse deer when I went in.The keepers turned up later with browse for the deer and no blue legged mantellas were seen.
Sand lizards
I saw two lizards during the visit.
Realm of the Red Ape
One of the main areas for reptiles and one of my top favourite exhibits because of the reptile variety.The reticulated pythons are the centrepiece with Bali being right at the front of the glass to show off her size.The Boelens pythons were mainly hanging onto branches while the crocodile monitor just basked on a log.Sadly I did not see the white lipped tree vipers which turned out to be a particular favourite of last years trip.Babirusa have now moved out of the otter paddock.
Spirit of the Jaguar
Nearing the end of the trip,We went into the jaguar house,the sloths were inside and I had only seen the jaguars once but there where three photographs blocking the glass for everyone at the time.But this time I got to see Napo in all his glory as his was resting behind a bush for everyone to see.Goshi was either hiding or was off show.
So that concludes my Chester Zoo review.I had a really awesome time and look forward to future visits.However the one sight that could have plagued the trip would have been Water Dragons knees.
Elephants of the Asian Forest
Chester's elephants are definitely a large highlight of the zoo especially with the way they are housed.It was the first time in seven years since I last went inside the elephant house and I was not disappointed with the amount of species on show.We did get to see all members of the herd together at one point including the calves.
Paddocks
The paddocks are quite impressive for their size and for the large amount of species housed there are quite interesting as well.I was impressed with all enclosures except for the Sitatunga paddock because like everyone knows,they need a pool.The roan antelope had youngsters in the herd can anyone confirm when they were born?
African Wetland Aviary
This enclosure is very good for the species that it exhibits and was one of Water Dragons main highlights as he is a fan of exotic birds.
Islands
When I first visited Islands,I was absolutely blown away at the amount of work that had been put in towards making the experience as awe inspiring as possible.The species exhibited were also particularly special as some of the animals exhibited I had never seen until last year.Cassowary,Tentacled snake and the False Gharial were all huge lifeticks then.The tigers had a section fenced off,this could have been because of the construction or the finishing touches for the enclosure.It was nice to walk around Monsoon forest without all the crowds as we were treated to plenty of active animals including Eko the silvery gibbon and the free roaming argues pheasants.Plus,the Orang-utans were doing their best Jedi impressions.
Mkomazi Painted Dog Exhibit
The dogs were sleeping when we went and the aardvarks were absent from their enclosure.I won't repeat what Water Dragon said about the Hyraxes.
Tsavo Black Rhino Experience
Getting to see Kitani and Hazina was the main highlight of this exhibit,as well as Ema Elsa and Gabe,and one the other male was in the paddock next door to them.We also saw the off show male as well.The meerkats were not as active as they normally were and the porcupines were fast asleep when we got their.
Monkey Islands
The spider monkeys were being fed when we got there.The mandrills were busy foraging and three of the Buddy headed Capuchins were busy having a play fight than having their lunch.There is also a fountain that Water Dragon is quite interested in and wishes to have a discussion about.
Asian plains
The deer were'nt that active and the rhinos kept sticking their heads out and going away and doing the same thing for a while.I got a photo of one of the rhinos later on.
Minature Monkeys
This was my first time seeing this exhibit and it is an interesting exhibit but the glass was very steamed up when we visited but we did see the pied tamarins and Pygmy marmosets.
Fruit Bat Forest
Water Dragons favourite exhibit by far is this and it was an experience to behold.This was the first time I saw the tenrecs which were quite interesting.The bats were quite good as well despite me nearly stepping on two as they were flying quite low.Good thing is that there were no screaming kids in the house this time.
Bears of the Cloud Forest
Quite empty today as we only saw the Capybara having baths as the Tapirs,bears and anteater were no where to be seen due to large influx of school children.One of them thought it was appropriate to sing a song about Harambe near the bears.
Cheetahs
I'm a big fan of Big cats and the Cheetahs were my second highlight from last years trip as Kinky Tail came right up to the fence to see everyone while Safi was busy chasing Magpies.I only saw two cheetahs this time though and did'nt go into the yurt.
Lions.
I'm not the biggest fan of the lion enclosure especially if you compare it to what the other big cats have.Iblis was busy sleeping under a tree while Kiburi and Kumari were both sleeping on the sand.
Bush Dogs
The bush dogs were'nt as active as they were last year and just either splashed in the pool or led down in the sun.
Pudu enclosures
The old female cheetah enclosure had signage up for Southern Pudu while the old giant anteater enclosure still has Bert in it we only just glimpsed his head as he was relaxing under a hide.
Red Pandas,Parrots and Owls
The red pandas were active when we went as one was climbing around the top of one of the trees while the other one was busy sleeping.No sign of the Ecuadorean amazon except for the model one which excited Water Dragon.Only the Spectacled owls where out during our visit.
Dragons in Danger
Easily my favourite exhibit in the zoo,I just love the set up the Komodo dragons have with Jantan having a replica Indonesian hut on stilts as you would see if you visited Komodo or surrounding islands,finally saw the Montserrat Tarantula and the spiny tailed iguanas and ploughshare tortoises in together.The three female dragons Sathi,Lara and Mia are still at the zoo but are off show.Mezcal was very active as she was busy digging up the earth,basking on the rocks and even jumping into a bush to avoid some passing families.Hopefully in the next few years she should be put in with Jantan to mate as this is what the zoo is hoping to do.
Mongoose and Binturongs
As Water Dragon said the Binturongs were MIA when we visited,hopefully will be better viewing in Islands.I did'nt go into the mongoose tunnels as I am quite tall and would have more than likely hit my head(like I don't do that enough).
Giant Otters
It was feeding time when we arrived and I am quite impressed with the giant otter enclosure although it is the only one I have seen at this time period.
Sunken Garden
This is a beautiful place and the large sterlet was impressive.It's a shame that that people still toss coins in though.
Aquarium
This was my first time going into the aquarium in seven years and I was impressed with the amount of species that are housed there especially the salamanders.Unfortunetly I did not see The Doctor.Water Dragon misses the epaulette sharks though.
Penguins,Flamingoes and Europe on the Edge
We saw the penguin nursery from SLOTZ and the penguin talk and feed had just started when we arrived.It's always nice to see these animals accelerate underwater to catch their food.The flamingo lagoon is a good enclosure and Chester has a very successful breeding program for them because I saw a couple of small heads sticking out.Europe on the Edge is a very well done enclosure despite it's age and the species held are very interesting especially the waldrapp ibis.
Cattle House and Red River Hogs
The Congo buffalo were enjoying the nice weather and there was a horsebox still near the Malayan Tapirs.Betong was separated from the females.We saw the red river hogs and their piglets who where still suckling from mum.
Giraffes and Okapi
The whole giraffe herd was indoors enjoying some browse.Narus was at the back while Murchison had pushed his way to the front.Usala the okapi calf had come as close as she could to the fence to allow good close up photos.I'm not going to repeat what Water Dragon said but my highlight was of course the two Gaboon Vipers.It is a shame that Chester is getting rid the venomous snakes.
Tropical Realm
I only saw the Tuatara,Tortoises,Caiman lizards,Caimans,Emerald Tree Boa,Mr Parsons and the mouse deer when I went in.The keepers turned up later with browse for the deer and no blue legged mantellas were seen.
Sand lizards
I saw two lizards during the visit.
Realm of the Red Ape
One of the main areas for reptiles and one of my top favourite exhibits because of the reptile variety.The reticulated pythons are the centrepiece with Bali being right at the front of the glass to show off her size.The Boelens pythons were mainly hanging onto branches while the crocodile monitor just basked on a log.Sadly I did not see the white lipped tree vipers which turned out to be a particular favourite of last years trip.Babirusa have now moved out of the otter paddock.
Spirit of the Jaguar
Nearing the end of the trip,We went into the jaguar house,the sloths were inside and I had only seen the jaguars once but there where three photographs blocking the glass for everyone at the time.But this time I got to see Napo in all his glory as his was resting behind a bush for everyone to see.Goshi was either hiding or was off show.
So that concludes my Chester Zoo review.I had a really awesome time and look forward to future visits.However the one sight that could have plagued the trip would have been Water Dragons knees.
