Chester Zoo Chester Zoo 2017
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
- Status
Funnily enough I had a similar experience at London Zoo. I was barked at because I didn't stop to have my picture taken even though I was polite and said no. This was right at the entrance, which wasn't a fantastic first impression.
As annoying they can be at Chester and always in places you least expect so they catch you off guard (how I always manage to forget where they are, I don't know.) As long as you're polite and friendly, I've never had any issues. By the end of the day if I've already been to certain areas a couple of times, they already know the answer before it comes out of my mouth.
I was there earlier in the week also. I forgot to notice if the Sitatunga signage depicting them running through marshy waters, while the Chester ones still haven't got a pond, was still there or not....
For your information I only went right around the whole zoo once this time, though I did visit Islands twice.
I was there earlier in the week also. I forgot to notice if the Sitatunga signage depicting them running through marshy waters, while the Chester ones still haven't got a pond, was still there or not....
For your information I only went right around the whole zoo once this time, though I did visit Islands twice.
I didn't go round the whole zoo either, I very rarely do
so I only saw the sitatunga from the path to Islands and I didn't look at their sign. I spent quite a lot of time photographing the ploughshare tortoises, painted batagur and cloud rats. I don't think I could have done that anywhere else in the world 
I didn't go round the whole zoo either, I very rarely do
Things I was disappointed not to see were the Spectacled Bears-despite visits at start and end of the day. Actually I have never seen them at Chester since the early days when they had two males. Also the Onagers were offshow due to re-fencing operations. Tuan not visible in Rotra and I hardly saw the other Bornean orangs either but I rather expected that. I am also bit perplexed why the viewing areas for the Sumatran Orangs in Islands are so limited, both in the Monsoon house and in the perimeter walls of the outside area. In comparison the nearby Sulawesi macaques have a full-size viewing window indoors, but its the Orangutans that draw the big audience and it gets very crowded..
Apart from those things I saw pretty much everything I wanted too. Even on a school-day weekday the zoo was pretty busy. I went to Blackpool the next day and it was really quiet by comparison.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Their is no such thing is a quiet day at Chester these days,always to many people in the zoo,but thats progress for you.
So am I.
As discussed previously in this thread, we don't know if we will be able to see Tuan in the future: I think it may be possible from the windows by the exit from RotRA, provided he seems settled in his new accommodation. I saw all the other Borneans except Leia, but it took two visits to do so. The viewing of the Sumatran orangs was very poor yesterday: the gibbons were in the enclosure with the oak tree and the orangs were in the enclosure next to macaques, but they were well hidden from the viewing window and I think from the boats too (although I didn't have a ride) so there was a crowd at the wall between the window and the bridge. The indoor viewing worries me more. The left hand enclosure was closed for work, I think they have added more sway poles and are strengthening fastenings where the mesh meets the framework: that should only be a temporary problem. On the other hand, putting new invert displays in the cupboards on either side of the window for the other indoor enclosure seems bonkers to me: particularly as the exhibits are behind the wire mesh in the cupboard doors which makes it harder to see the exhibits and read the labels, which obstructs traffic flow and makes it even harder to see the orangs.
Hello, news, and details exhibit islands ?
what do you mean?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
I suspect they mean just what is going on and how soon it will be finished,but I could be wrong!!
GentleLemur I have also been thinking about the new invert exhibits, it will be a struggle to get to them when the zoo is busy, I'm also not liking the mesh as you pointed out. Another thing whixh annoys me is the large window sill benches by the vivs and also in Tropical House. Naturally people sit on them and obscure the view of the exhibit.
It sounds as if us older zoochatters are moaning about everything, but I don't think the zoo knows how to do a good exhibit anymore. Probably too obsessed with theming.
It sounds as if us older zoochatters are moaning about everything, but I don't think the zoo knows how to do a good exhibit anymore. Probably too obsessed with theming.
Yes, both my recent visits(once a year) have been deliberately chosen to be on 'quiet' schooldays early in the week yet both times the carparks were heaving by mid-morning. Just proves what a successful place it is.
The wire mesh is quite useful if you feel a bit tired and need something to hang on to for a few minutes... but I do think the floor space at the viewing window(s) is ridiculously small given the total size of the inside Orang enclosure.
I do fully agree with the comment about theming. My overall impression at Chester was that 'theming' is more important than the actual visitor viewing and display in some cases.
If you think the theming at Chester risks going over the top, don't visit 'Land of the Lions' at Regent's Park, that really overeggs the pudding.
On the whole, I think the theming in Islands works pretty well: it provides a context to link the exhibits with the region they come from and I like the way that the boat ride, street kitchen and gift shop are integrated into the whole. The kid's explorer pack seems to work well too. The theatre set aspect is a matter of taste; I like some of it, such as the Indonesian maps, but I think we are entitled to complain if there are places where the theatre set obscures our view of the principal actors (the orangs in the case I mentioned previously). We must also remember that sooner or later all the flummery will need to be renewed or replaced to refresh the Islands experience; the Tripa Research Station could become a village in Atjeh province one day, which will be much cheaper and easier than the alternative of rebuilding and restocking the exhibits designed for gibbons and orangs.
Some of the problems are caused by flaws in the design. As bongorob said, people sit on the ledge in front of the vivariums in the Monsoon Forest, because they are just the right height and width and because there is nowhere else to sit - at least until you get to the crocodiles. On Saturday an elderly gent with a push chair sat there for a few minutes while the children in his party were looking at the macaques. He looked as if he needed a rest and he was quite unaware that he was sitting directly in front of the only lizard visible in the large enclosure. That's an example of bad design of the public area and a poor choice of exhibit too.
The other problem, as theming spreads around the zoo, is thinking up new ideas for the new themes. The hunting dogs and the apes in Islands both have research station themes, but as the new Play! area seems to have a Madagascar theme, with a banyan tree and so on, will a future construction nearby be a Madagascar Research Station or can they think of something different?
On the whole, I think the theming in Islands works pretty well: it provides a context to link the exhibits with the region they come from and I like the way that the boat ride, street kitchen and gift shop are integrated into the whole. The kid's explorer pack seems to work well too. The theatre set aspect is a matter of taste; I like some of it, such as the Indonesian maps, but I think we are entitled to complain if there are places where the theatre set obscures our view of the principal actors (the orangs in the case I mentioned previously). We must also remember that sooner or later all the flummery will need to be renewed or replaced to refresh the Islands experience; the Tripa Research Station could become a village in Atjeh province one day, which will be much cheaper and easier than the alternative of rebuilding and restocking the exhibits designed for gibbons and orangs.
Some of the problems are caused by flaws in the design. As bongorob said, people sit on the ledge in front of the vivariums in the Monsoon Forest, because they are just the right height and width and because there is nowhere else to sit - at least until you get to the crocodiles. On Saturday an elderly gent with a push chair sat there for a few minutes while the children in his party were looking at the macaques. He looked as if he needed a rest and he was quite unaware that he was sitting directly in front of the only lizard visible in the large enclosure. That's an example of bad design of the public area and a poor choice of exhibit too.
The other problem, as theming spreads around the zoo, is thinking up new ideas for the new themes. The hunting dogs and the apes in Islands both have research station themes, but as the new Play! area seems to have a Madagascar theme, with a banyan tree and so on, will a future construction nearby be a Madagascar Research Station or can they think of something different?
Gigit
Well-Known Member
As I'm not a regular I don't know Tuan well, but on my last two visits it appeared that he was getting some enjoyment from people-watching.
When I first visited ROTRA some years ago, I was disappointed by the poor viewing so I was surprised that they haven't improved things for Monsoon. Ripe for 'zoo rage' at busy times, I think
- Status