Chester Zoo Chester Zoo 2017

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I understand what you are saying @HGibbins but we have seen quite a few species leave the zoo in the past few months such as the blackbucks, scimitar-horned oryxes, and now the lesser Kudu. I don't mean that the zoo is just throwing away all of its hoofstock. I am sure that there will be much more to come when the new African exhibit opens.

It does make me wonder though, that the African exhibit mentioned not too long ago may take place here. With this exhibit, the Madagascar-themed exhibit set to be built soon where Europe on the Edge currently is, and the demolition of the tiger enclosure and the cattle-house, I think that there are a lot of changes in store for us.
 
HGibbins said:
This doesn't necessarily mean an end to breeding Grevy's Zebra at Chester - bringing in a new stallion would enable more of the females (i.e. Merida and, if Nadine or Florence are expecting, any female offspring) to reproduce.

With one eye on the future developments mentioned a few pages back, it also makes sense for the zoo to free up some space in the west zoo - they won't have the same luxury as they did with Islands of not having to work around existing exhibits.

All of this, of course, is speculation - but we shouldn't jump to a conclusion that Chester's ungulate collection is in some kind of terminal decline.
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You're right plus Mac did his job having two foals and while the female didn't survive the male has which will be great for the breeding program. I imagine the zoo will obtain another male and continue to breed the species.
 
gentle lemur said:
I don't believe that is the main reason. There have been several births, but I don't think any of the calves have been reared successfully and the adults have never shown well or looked particularly happy in their paddock. I wonder if the roan antelope next door unsetttle them or if there are more subtle factors involved.
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It certainly says a lot that in the time they have been at Chester, during which I have probably visited the zoo close to 20 times, I have seen them on a total of three occasions - and on all three of these occasions they have remained on their hard-standing at the rear of the paddock, rather than using the vast majority of their exhibit. I suspect the vast majority of visitors will not even notice their departure, sadly.

gentle lemur said:
I hope they do better in Magdeburg.
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The exhibit they are going into at Magdeburg is a pretty good one :) so it will be interesting to hear how they settle in.
 
Charlie Simmomds said:
You're right plus Mac did his job having two foals and while the female didn't survive the male has which will be great for the breeding program
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He actually had 4 calves at Chester; Merida (b. 2014) and Elinor (b. 2016, Died at a couple of months of age) with female Nadine, A calf which died during birth (b. 2014) along with mother Mkelly and the young male Angus (b.2016) with Flo.
 
MagpieGoose said:
He actually had 4 calves at Chester; Merida (b. 2014) and Elinor (b. 2016, Died at a couple of months of age) with female Nadine, A calf which died during birth (b. 2014) along with mother Mkelly and the young male Angus (b.2016) with Flo.
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Ahh yes I forgot about the others, my mistake.
 
I remember going to Edinburgh about 10 years ago before I'd seen lesser kudu. I knew they had some and spent a little while photographing them. So I thought. When my sildes came back I had a lot of photographs of female nyala :D
 
the former lesser kudu paddock will be used to provide more space for the roan antelope. As mentioned above they were not a good show species at Chester. One former keeper told me that they did not like wind, perhaps that is a factor

the breeding record was abysmal, and although the last calf was reared past 30 days, the decision to go out of kudu had already been made.

Who knows, the may come back when Grasslands is built, or perhaps Greater kudu again.

I adopt lesser kudu at Chester, I wonder how long it will be before they tell me they have left the collection. It was several months before they told me the bongos were moving, in fact they had already moved by the time my adopters letter arrived.

HGibbins said:
All of this, of course, is speculation - but we shouldn't jump to a conclusion that Chester's ungulate collection is in some kind of terminal decline.
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It is not in terminal decline, but they can't keep antelope unless they have the space to do so. We will have to wait a few years.
 
Visited today, a couple of changes:
-With 1 Ungulate species leaving another has arrived with 1:1 Red Duiker coming from Germany. They are on-show and have replaced the Dik-Dik in the Okapi exhibit.
-3 Rock Hyrax pups have been born
-Saw the baby Spectacled Bear for the first time today :)
-Bert the Pudu is now in the old Serval and Cheetah enclosure. The agouti is still signed on the other exhibit. A small pen has been made in the old Anteater enclosure ans was covered in netting.
-Tuan the Orangutans outdoors are now on-show although he didn't have access today
-White-rumped Shama have been put in the aviary closest to the entrance of RORA. The fairy bluebirds are no longer in the one closest to the exit.
-A male Mouse Deer has been bought in to join the baby born last year in the Tropical Realm. The new male seems alot more confident then the young female.
-The fish in the Tomistoma and Batagur tanks are now labelled saying Sumatra Tiger Barb, Red Scissortail, Tiger Barb and Scissortail Rasbora.
-The Philippine Tree Skink is now signed in Islands with signage for the Sun Skink and Six-Lined Grass Lizard removed.
 
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MagpieGoose said:
-With 1 Ungulate species leaving another has arrived with 1:1 Red Duiker coming from Germany. They are on-show and have replaced the Dik-Dik in the Okapi exhibit.
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I guess the only thing to say here is "out with the old and in with the new" :):):)

MagpieGoose said:
-The Philippine Tree Skink is now signed in Islands with signage for the Sun Skink and Six-Lined Grass Lizard removed.
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I hope that this isn't the end of these species at Chester. Still Philippine tree skink isn't a bad addition.
 
bongorob said:
I remember going to Edinburgh about 10 years ago before I'd seen lesser kudu. I knew they had some and spent a little while photographing them. So I thought. When my sildes came back I had a lot of photographs of female nyala :D
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Komodo, Gentle lemur and I have all shared simular experiences with stick insects and blue-legged mantellas :D
 
The Northern Luzon Cloud Rats are no longer at the zoo

The Sun Bear's and Malayan Tapir are still waiting to be moved to Islands - from a distance the Tapir's new outdoor area looks ready, so hopefully just a matter of time now
 
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