Chester Zoo Chester Zoo 2017

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Gigit said:
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 :(
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Its interesting to reflect there have now been four seperate buildings for Orangutan exhibits at Chester( Nos 3 & 4 are in use simultaneously of course). In the 1960's in the old Tropical House the viewing areas for the Apes both indoors and out were over watermoats and there was plenty of room for people as the total frontage of the display was used. This can still be seen as the frontage of the Hornbill aviaries which now utilise their indoor areas. Then in the newer 'Orangutan House' into which they moved, viewing indoors was from high up and looking down into the showdens, but again the windows covered most of the frontage of the width of the enclosures. But with ROTRA, the indoor window/viewing spaces became far more restricted though the outside viewing on the other side is perfectly adequate. For the first time it often created 'competition' for visitors at busy times to get near the windows. Its this design that they have followed in the Monsoon building, though the indoor viewing areas are even more restricted than Rotra.
 
gentle lemur said:
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.
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I think that's another important factor- lack of seating at least in the inside areas. Islands has created a lot of extra walking with those pathways between/around all the Island exhibits to get from one animal species to the next. Families with small children(particularly) and elderly folk must get exhausted I think. My previous visit I used some sort of 'explorer's box' to sit on in the Orangutan area in the Monsoon area as I just needed to sit for a bit (I had walked round the whole zoo twice...) and there was nowhere else!
 
Pertinax said:
Its interesting to reflect there have now been four seperate buildings for Orangutan exhibits at Chester( Nos 3 & 4 are in use simultaneously of course). In the 1960's in the old Tropical House the viewing areas for the Apes both indoors and out were over watermoats and there was plenty of room for people as the total frontage of the display was used. This can still be seen as the frontage of the Hornbill aviaries which now utilise their indoor areas. Then in the newer 'Orangutan House' into which they moved, viewing indoors was from high up and looking down into the showdens, but again the windows covered most of the frontage of the width of the enclosures. But with ROTRA, the indoor window/viewing spaces became far more restricted though the outside viewing on the other side is perfectly adequate. For the first time it often created 'competition' for visitors at busy times to get near the windows. Its this design that they have followed in the Monsoon building, though the indoor viewing areas are even more restricted than Rotra.
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The old orang house viewing is no better then RotRA. The narrow walk way is the issue, as I remember struggling to get into a viewing window to see the orangs in the old house but step back a couple of steps and there was plenty of room to move about.

Maybe I was smaller back then so it seemed larger but to me its the narrow walkways that makes it clog up.
 
Pertinax said:
I think that's another important factor- lack of seating at least in the inside areas. Islands has created a lot of extra walking with those pathways between/around all the Island exhibits to get from one animal species to the next.
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This is something I don't like about themed areas - having to shuffle along with everybody else to get to what you really want to see. I think a meandering path was part of Paignton's planned Savannah (hopefully now the element that's been shelved) so nipping up to see the Turs, for example, would no longer have been an option. When you get to know the layout of a zoo that has just evolved you can take short cuts. ZSL's Land of the Lions is very frustrating - we went through saying 'where are the lions?'
 
Gigit said:
This is something I don't like about themed areas - having to shuffle along with everybody else to get to what you really want to see. . . ZSL's Land of the Lions is very frustrating - we went through saying 'where are the lions?'
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I do agree about 'Land of the Lions', after my recent visit (with Crowthrone and ShonenJake) I wanted to write about the recent developments at Regent's Park and call it 'The Zig-Zag Zoo', but it's such a strange combination of good things and bad things that I found it too hard to write anything that was accurate, fair and shorter than War and Peace :confused:
I do notice that many visitors to Islands are now going the 'wrong' way round (i.e. starting at the gift shop). When the current work is completed, the paths will make a figure of eight, which will allow more choice of route, although the Monsoon Forest will still be one-way.

Pertinax said:
Its interesting to reflect there have now been four seperate buildings for Orangutan exhibits at Chester( Nos 3 & 4 are in use simultaneously of course).
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In my earliest memories of Chester, the orangs were on the first chimp island, beside the entrance ramp to the viewing gallery. Then the young gorillas took their place and I think the orangs moved to the second island (if any old Chester visitors disagree, please correct me), that left the large island for the chimps. These islands were combined when the current chimp house was built.
I think some of the comments about viewing the orangs in the Monsoon Forest are a little unfair. Although I haven't measured them, I am sure that the total width of the windows in the Monsoon Forest is significantly larger than those for the indoor sections of RotRA: they also go down to floor level, making it easier for small children to see. It is true that cannot the see the whole of each enclosure from each window; that is a design feature that you may like or dislike, but I presume it was done to give the animals some more privacy and to encourage visitors to move on through the exhibit. My complaint above was about access to the windows, which is reduced by the new displays. The viewing of the outdoor enclosures in the Monsoon Forest is far superior to RotRA, although again you cannot see the whole of the unwired enclosures from one viewpoint, and in my experience, Puluh is highly skilled in picking spots where he is hard to see. If the orangs are in the oak tree enclosure, the viewing is spectacularly good, at least it will be when the whole path is reopened after the work is completed. If the orangs are in the enclosure by the MF exit, keepers and researchers often watch them from the path beside the Bali aviary, but binoculars are useful from that distance.
 
I might be visiting Chester Zoo soon (went last year after a very long absence and sufficed to say I loved it!) and would like to ask a few questions... apologies in advance as these are probably quite basic and may have been covered already, but as things move so quickly at Chester and there are so many posts about the place it is difficult for a 'casual' like me to keep up!

1. Are the Binturongs currently on show, and if so whereabouts in the zoo are they?

2. Last I heard the Sun Bears were in one of the enclosures at Spirit of the Jaguar - is this still the case and if so, how is the visibility? One factor I'm mulling over is whether to wait until their new exhibit opens before visiting, although part of me quite fancies seeing them before they move.

3. Is there any news on the Spectacled Bears and potential breeding?

4. Any news on when a certain marsupial might be going on show? Again, this is something I'd love to see but am well aware it could be a good excuse for another visit in the future so I'm not too worried about seeing it just yet!
 
Sand Cat said:
I might be visiting Chester Zoo soon (went last year after a very long absence and sufficed to say I loved it!) and would like to ask a few questions... apologies in advance as these are probably quite basic and may have been covered already, but as things move so quickly at Chester and there are so many posts about the place it is difficult for a 'casual' like me to keep up!

1. Are the Binturongs currently on show, and if so whereabouts in the zoo are they?

2. Last I heard the Sun Bears were in one of the enclosures at Spirit of the Jaguar - is this still the case and if so, how is the visibility? One factor I'm mulling over is whether to wait until their new exhibit opens before visiting, although part of me quite fancies seeing them before they move.

3. Is there any news on the Spectacled Bears and potential breeding?

4. Any news on when a certain marsupial might be going on show? Again, this is something I'd love to see but am well aware it could be a good excuse for another visit in the future so I'm not too worried about seeing it just yet!
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I can answer 1,2 & 4.
1. Yes, the Binturongs are on-show and can be seen in the old indoor Tiger viewing
2. Both Sun Bears are still in SOTJ, you're best bet of seeing one clearly is probaly in the indoor enclosure.
4. Not yet. Although said marsupial will be going in Islands in the future.
 
The binturong are on show in the old tiger enclosure. Maybe i'm just unlucky, but I've never seen the sun bears in SotJ. No idea on the spectacled bears, or the tree kangaroo- but I doubt it'll be going on display in the immediate future.
Edit: MagpieGoose beat me to it :P
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, most helpful.

Shame that the Tree Kangaroo is likely to be off show for so long, but definitely something to look forward to for another time.
 
Sand Cat said:
Thanks for all the replies so far, most helpful.

Shame that the Tree Kangaroo is likely to be off show for so long, but definitely something to look forward to for another time.
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Its going to be the new Aye-aye,in that we know the zoo has it but its off-show teasing us that its in the zoo!
 
bongorob said:
that is true and if an enclosure becomes availabe and it is suitale, she could be moved on show.
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Just a thought but is there any chance she could go where the Binturongs are now, when they move over to Islands? I'm not overly familiar with the old tiger housing so it may be completely unsuitable, but would be nice to have this species on show sooner if possible. Its a great addition however, whenever it goes on display.
 
Sand Cat said:
Just a thought but is there any chance she could go where the Binturongs are now, when they move over to Islands? I'm not overly familiar with the old tiger housing so it may be completely unsuitable, but would be nice to have this species on show sooner if possible. Its a great addition however, whenever it goes on display.
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I think it would take a great deal of modification to make that enclosure suitable, if it could be done at all. Nice thought though.
 
I like that little enclosure, even if you demolished it it so small you'd have to take the bush dog enclosure too to build something.
 
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