Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion and questions 2023

ZooAtHome said:
I was told it by a Chester Zoo reptile keeper, though maybe he did not mean a 'reptile house' as such but he did say the Tropical Realm as it stands was to be knocked down and the animals re-located to a new location; though he did not clarify exactly what this would be, it did sound like a single location though rather than distributing them around different areas.
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Alwaysevergreen said:
That much is true. Tropical Realm is being knocked down, to make way for the Congolese exhibit. I would be surprised if they built a reptile house though, as a number of the off show reptiles held out of public sight in the Tropical Realm, are ones which are destined for the exhibits on Heart Of Africa.
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Any idea of the timeline for the demolition of Tropical Realm? It was one of the highlights of my trip two weeks ago (before anyone has a go at me, not necessarily for its contents or quality) partly due to its scale and history, and I would regret not spending more time in there (I was tempted, but I must have already been in there for about half an hour) if I never get the chance to see it again.
 
Fallax said:
I was under the impression the new elephant enclosure would be for all of them, not just the bull?
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Last I heard the new northern extension was for the cows, and the bull enclosure would be the existing elephant area, it has possibly all changed by now as that was 2017.
 
bongorob said:
Last I heard the new northern extension was for the cows, and the bull enclosure would be the existing elephant area, it has possibly all changed by now as that was 2017.
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That's what I had always assumed as it seems to make the most sense but like you say, who know what has changed.
 
Maguari said:
Total speculation based on nothing at all so not be taken as fact in any way - but I could easy see a quick adaptation of the current giraffe paddock for one or both out of the bongo and sitatunga while the 'proper' Congo area is still pending.
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Giraffe exhibit will be transformed for a Chimpanzee island. So wouldn’t expect any make shift changes for other species.
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
Any idea of the timeline for the demolition of Tropical Realm? It was one of the highlights of my trip two weeks ago (before anyone has a go at me, not necessarily for its contents or quality) partly due to its scale and history, and I would regret not spending more time in there (I was tempted, but I must have already been in there for about half an hour) if I never get the chance to see it again.
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I wouldn’t expect anything until 25/26 when heart of Africa is complete.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
Giraffe exhibit will be transformed for a Chimpanzee island. So wouldn’t expect any make shift changes for other species.
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Are you suggesting that the day the giraffes are out they're going to start building for chimps? 'Cos they certainly ain't...

And they might never, because plans change, whatever staff are telling visitors currently.

There is going to be a significant time gap between the giraffes moving out and any major development in this area. This would be true even if the 'Congo' area was going to be the next development (and we've no reason to think it is), because they are not going to launch straight into another major capital project so soon. If they wanted to fill the paddock in the interim (and they might not!) then either Tragelaphus species would be a relatively easy 'fill', that's all I'm saying.
 
Maguari said:
Are you suggesting that the day the giraffes are out they're going to start building for chimps? 'Cos they certainly ain't...

And they might never, because plans change, whatever staff are telling visitors currently.

There is going to be a significant time gap between the giraffes moving out and any major development in this area. This would be true even if the 'Congo' area was going to be the next development (and we've no reason to think it is), because they are not going to launch straight into another major capital project so soon. If they wanted to fill the paddock in the interim (and they might not!) then either Tragelaphus species would be a relatively easy 'fill', that's all I'm saying.
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No I am not suggesting, you have assumed.

However, I have reliably been told, that they need and want to improve the Chimpanzee exhibit and that this will be done using the area of the Giraffe exhibit, and that in order to do the Congolese Section, and demolish the Tropical Realm, they need to relocate the chimps into a new exhibit as there is nowhere for them at holding, but all the other species in these areas can move to holding.
The pair of Bongo, and group of Sitatunga are already over on holding.

But the plan is to convert the Giraffe exhibit into a new Chimpanzee island BEFORE they can start the main Congolese section.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
No I am not suggesting, you have assumed.

However, I have reliably been told, that they need and want to improve the Chimpanzee exhibit and that this will be done using the area of the Giraffe exhibit, and that in order to do the Congolese Section, and demolish the Tropical Realm, they need to relocate the chimps into a new exhibit as there is nowhere for them at holding, but all the other species in these areas can move to holding.
The pair of Bongo, and group of Sitatunga are already over on holding.

But the plan is to convert the Giraffe exhibit into a new Chimpanzee island BEFORE they can start the main Congolese section.
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I understand all this - this is not my point.

You suggested nothing else would occupy the paddock as it was going to be converted for chimps. I admit to rhetorical hyperbole when I suggested the same day (that ought to have been clear) but the idea that all that will happen soon enough to make it unthinkable they would use the paddock for something else (which you did suggest) is absurd.

And so my points stand:

1 - even if it is the plan, this is not going to happen in the short term after the giraffes move, which means a large ungulate paddock going begging for potentially a couple of years at least

2 - plans change, regardless of what is being said now, particularly as what you were told may (intentionally or otherwise) not be the whole truth (this applies doubly if they know it might end up online!)

Many, many plans don't come to fruition (or we'd be enjoying the boat ride past the gorillas through the Africa dome by now, or the National Pond Life Centre (anyone remember that! :D ), not to mention any number of species that the zoo intended to bring in but never did for various reasons - or even did but never made it on show). Even something relatively simple like Islands (now Dragons) in Danger was radically scaled back during construction to increase the size of the main enclosures, losing species in the process. So the idea that anything that is being said by any staff this far out from the development starting is fixed and factual is just wrong. The most it can be is the current intention.
 
Maguari said:
Many, many plans don't come to fruition (or we'd be enjoying the boat ride past the gorillas through the Africa dome by now, or the National Pond Life Centre (anyone remember that! :D )
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I can't recall the Pond Lfe thing, but I have the plans for the original 'Heart of Africa' safely stored away. And I can remember when the site of Tropical House was a scrubby field with Bennett's wallabies and Soay sheep.
 
Although I agree with the thinking that nothing is definite until building work actually starts. I don't think the giraffe paddock will be left empty for years.

The giraffes aren't going to be moving for 2 years atleast probably, so give the zoo time to draw up a new chimp island plans and have them ready, plus then a 1-2 year build time.

So maybe 5 years at the earliest the chimps can move from a house that is already severely looking it age and looks really out of place with the rest of the zoos enclosures.

Then work can start on the rest of this Congolese area.that still puts completion into the early or mid 2030's
 
jde7582 said:
Although I agree with the thinking that nothing is definite until building work actually starts. I don't think the giraffe paddock will be left empty for years.

The giraffes aren't going to be moving for 2 years atleast probably, so give the zoo time to draw up a new chimp island plans and have them ready, plus then a 1-2 year build time.

So maybe 5 years at the earliest the chimps can move from a house that is already severely looking it age and looks really out of place with the rest of the zoos enclosures.

Then work can start on the rest of this Congolese area.that still puts completion into the early or mid 2030's
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While this is certainly not an impossible timeline, it does depend on a major factor it's easy to forget - having the cash available!
 
Maguari said:
That's reassuring; I've often wondered if it were a fever dream. :D
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Maguari I will find the zoo magazine which mentioned this and post the information on the forum.

I also remember in 1974 the sitatunga paddock was propsed as the site of new bear enclosures.

I can't remember the years, but Judge's Field behind the Spectacled Bears was proposed as the site of Bird of Prey Aviaires, or a bongo paddock (can't remember in which order these proposals were).

The 1984 guidebook showed deer paddocks on the site of the current Asian Plains enclosure.

Bats Bridge was first shown on the zoo map in 1968. It took 40 years to build it.

The 1988 zoo masterplan showed a lot of proposals which never materialised. Gorillas where the Butterfly House is. Arabian Gazelles where the Red Panda Enclosure is. Owl aviaries on the islands.

Plans change for all sorts of reasons.
 
Has anyone seen the baby anteater yet? Is it in the capybara area. The only picture I've seen looks like another house. Looked several times this week but no joy.
 
Anteater House is opposite the South American Tapir House. Anteaters have access to the capybara paddock.
 
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