hari Jones
Well-Known Member
I think the keepers rotate them on the island but no last I heard they were not living with the main group
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion and questions 2023
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Latest issue of The Herpetological Bulletin contains an open-access article on the zoo's successful breeding of Asian river toads:
https://www.thebhs.org/publications...an-giant-river-toad-i-phrynoidis-asper-i/file
https://www.thebhs.org/publications...an-giant-river-toad-i-phrynoidis-asper-i/file
Very interesting Swampy, a probable world first breeding, but ignored by the zoo. I assume it's the youngsters on show, I have yet to see one.
The new Z magazine lists the snow leopards as Yashin from Highland Wildlife Park and Nubra from Krefeld Zoo. Arriving in the spring of 2024.
The new Z magazine lists the snow leopards as Yashin from Highland Wildlife Park and Nubra from Krefeld Zoo. Arriving in the spring of 2024.
Just reading the members magazine, it confirms Aung Bo will be leaving but not revealing where as yet
After 11 years here with us at Chester Zoo, we’ll soon be waving off Aung Bo, our 22-year-old male Asian elephant. In the wild, bull elephants naturally move between herds for breeding purposes, and the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) we’re part of replicate this. We’ll be able to reveal where Aung Bo is moving to in a future issue, as preparations are still being made.
We’re always sad to see an animal leave the zoo. Although our team will miss Aung Bo, for the other elephants, it’s natural to see males drift in and out of family herds. So, when Aung Bo moves in with his new herd, we’ll actually be replicating elephant behaviour in the wild. And who knows? Maybe another male will drift into our herd in the future.
After 11 years here with us at Chester Zoo, we’ll soon be waving off Aung Bo, our 22-year-old male Asian elephant. In the wild, bull elephants naturally move between herds for breeding purposes, and the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) we’re part of replicate this. We’ll be able to reveal where Aung Bo is moving to in a future issue, as preparations are still being made.
We’re always sad to see an animal leave the zoo. Although our team will miss Aung Bo, for the other elephants, it’s natural to see males drift in and out of family herds. So, when Aung Bo moves in with his new herd, we’ll actually be replicating elephant behaviour in the wild. And who knows? Maybe another male will drift into our herd in the future.
The adult males are on show in RORA, mixed with Hypsilurus.
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
Lafone
Well-Known Member
First apologies if this is in the wrong thread. I read the guidance but the one called visit reports doesn't exist any more I think and there are visit report / mini reviews in both the threads called news and discussions. Please move / report me to a mod if required.
I had my first visit in many years to Chester yesterday. I can't remember when I went last, not within the last 10 years anyway. I'd definitely return as you only scrape the surface of a collection on the first visit - with a zoo the size of Chester you hardly leave a mark!
Arrived just before opening and was pleased to find the EV chargers were all working ok which made for an uninterrupted return journey (they are 7kw Podpoint, for anyone who cares, but if you are there all day it tops up well). Only used them here and at YWP and while a bit of a minority thing they are high convenience for those of us on batteries! They were also right near the entrance which was agreeable parking wise.
I decided before I went that I would try and see the whole zoo and not revisit too many areas (as is my habit normally for favourite animals / exhibits or, given I visit as a photographer, just to get 'the shot') to see how it felt overall. I left at closing (just after 6pm, they were pretty lenient on throwing you out) and managed to see most things, with a good amount of walking! The weather was lovely; warm and sunny and although it was fairly busy at some of the choke points (the Realm of the Red Ape etc) it wasn't too bad. There was a bit of double buggy ram raiding going on, of course. I did a bit of back tracking in the end (notably due to finding the lions were closed off until 11am) but there was no time to go around more than once overall. I didn't go with a 'tick list' of things to see as I quite like to see what turns up when I go to a collection for the first time.
I bought a paper map and was glad I had. I think I would have missed half the zoo if I had not referred back to the map a lot as it is quite easy to go in circles. It paid off to venture down every path as there were exhibits in what felt like nooks and crannies (such as the blue macaws).
There was a huge amount to enjoy and lots of animals I hadn't seen at the zoo before. Fast firsts early at the brow antlered deer, Onagers and Eurasian black vulture set the tone of 'there's another one!' for the day. I promptly broke my 'do not linger' rule for the first time at the vultures when I had been going for about 5 minutes. As a set of first things to see (if going left) the vultures / ibis, rhino and deer and butterfly house set the zoo up as focusing on large, high quality, well done exhibits, complemented by interesting information, while not forgetting the smaller details. The young rhino also established a repeating pattern for successful breeding programmes.
I enjoyed the spirit of the jaguar area (I saw the male but not the female). The sloth enclosure was certainly interesting having seen it pictured in the best sloth enclosure voting - not very naturalistic but lots of things for them to do. Obviously the sloth was asleep. Nearby I enjoyed the sand lizard exhibit and the long pathway with the information on bees. A good collection contrast of 'landmark' species and focus on conservation. Got a good view of the male Andean bear too on the way.
I did particularly enjoy the birds in all the different areas, from the aviaries opposite the chimps to the wholly impressive tropical houses and smaller walkthroughs. I had two additional pheasants and a new to me tragopan among numerous other bird firsts and got great pictures which was excellent. The quieter and smaller walkthroughs on the island area were also a big highlight for me. The wetlands is also well done with a nice variety of birds in a well constructed and incredibly attractive exhibit. A couple were having wedding photos taken in it - can't say I have seen that at a zoo before. I do love a walkthrough though and I felt heavily indulged!
Enjoyed the penguin enclosure - I wish the walkway was the same height as the penguins above the water, though the underwater viewing was excellent. Over the day bird wise I most enjoyed the silver eared mesia, Salvadori and Bronie tailed pheasants, chestnut backed thrush and blue naped mousebird. The variety of thrushes, pigeons and doves overall was excellent. I thought the walkthroughs and viewable aviaries were great (though the owls area was very standard, it had some nice birds in it) and as a bonus none of them were busy. The tropical house spaces were standout 'wow' overall. Spacious, great viewing, interesting species mix and lovely planting. I appreciated the information on the plants too, many of which were signed to the same quality as the animals. Made for an immersive experience. The plant project was also a very interesting area.
I enjoyed the 'surprises' of some of the exhibits and their design...for example arriving at the giant otters at the first set of windows I was a bit disappointed to see only a small view but then realised you could see them in areas at different places around the path. Made for a nice 'adventure' feel.
The size and scale of the 'big' set piece exhibits such as the red ape area, tropical realm and islands is astonishing and the quality of the exhibits is consistently high. A couple of more minor ones then seemed to be a bit less 'wow' in comparison (cheetahs, Okapi for example) but most things were stand out and even the less wow stuff was still good. The Okapi were being fed which made for great views. I was hoping to see the Duiker but it was a no show. There were also lots of small 'cool' moments I enjoy at a zoo like the display of parasitic wasps. The amount of investment (and indeed revenue / income generation) is in your face constantly but it seems generally well considered and thought out. A few things were for kids etc (planet shark, which I wrongly assumed had a reef or something in it) but they were being enjoyed by the target audience. I was surprised to be yelled at by a guy with a shark puppet near the chimps and I nearly jumped into their moat after he leapt out of the bushes (that's a sentence you don't write much) but it was funny and he scared two kids behind me more than me, which was a comfort!
The red ape area was the only really congested space (it was of course the end of the school holidays) but none of the Bornean orangs were about anyway, so it mostly consisted of people screaming at each other and their kids or shoving people around to get a view of precisely nothing. All the same the aviaries and other tank exhibits etc in there were good to see and super interesting. Lots of people were seeking the new baby orang so I guess that's why it was busier than other places.
I enjoyed the large group of chimps (great exhibit, love the viewing angles) and it was excellent to see the youngsters outside playing with the adults. I did again break my rule and return there more than once. Having seen pictures of the moats for chimps and orangs in the guide on keeping great apes someone had linked on here a while ago (where it talked about mitigating the dangers of apes drowning in a water barrier with the correct water levels, electric wires and waterfalls / slopes using photos of Chester enclosures as an example) it was really interesting to see all those exhibits in the flesh and appreciate the design.
I got to the Islands area last in the day for a couple of hours and felt fortunate to see a tiger as well as a sun bear. The whole area is well done and although it is heavily themed it doesn't feel ridiculous. I didn't do the boat but it looked interesting. The layout also filtered the visitors around and broke up the crowds who had been thronging at the Andean bears and capybara on the way. I enjoyed seeing a Malayan tapir, despite it being asleep. Seeing dusky pademelons for only the second time, it was then even more lovely to see one of them with a joey. The tree kangaroos were also a 'wow' and first for me. The walkthroughs on the island had no one in and again offered unusual and active birds and some nice seating to wait for the birds to emerge. The Monsoon forest area was a day highlight in a day of great moments. The different levels work really well and the free flying birds soaring about were as impressive as they were enjoyable. There were nests to look at too if you spent time looking into the planting.
Then, just before closing the Sumatran Orangs came out with two youngsters, had some fruit and played around in the late afternoon sunshine, offering unobstructed views with no glass or wire. Felt like a complete treat. The whole area was pretty quiet by then and it was a super and quite peaceful end to a really enjoyable and busy day.
I had my first visit in many years to Chester yesterday. I can't remember when I went last, not within the last 10 years anyway. I'd definitely return as you only scrape the surface of a collection on the first visit - with a zoo the size of Chester you hardly leave a mark!
Arrived just before opening and was pleased to find the EV chargers were all working ok which made for an uninterrupted return journey (they are 7kw Podpoint, for anyone who cares, but if you are there all day it tops up well). Only used them here and at YWP and while a bit of a minority thing they are high convenience for those of us on batteries! They were also right near the entrance which was agreeable parking wise.
I decided before I went that I would try and see the whole zoo and not revisit too many areas (as is my habit normally for favourite animals / exhibits or, given I visit as a photographer, just to get 'the shot') to see how it felt overall. I left at closing (just after 6pm, they were pretty lenient on throwing you out) and managed to see most things, with a good amount of walking! The weather was lovely; warm and sunny and although it was fairly busy at some of the choke points (the Realm of the Red Ape etc) it wasn't too bad. There was a bit of double buggy ram raiding going on, of course. I did a bit of back tracking in the end (notably due to finding the lions were closed off until 11am) but there was no time to go around more than once overall. I didn't go with a 'tick list' of things to see as I quite like to see what turns up when I go to a collection for the first time.
I bought a paper map and was glad I had. I think I would have missed half the zoo if I had not referred back to the map a lot as it is quite easy to go in circles. It paid off to venture down every path as there were exhibits in what felt like nooks and crannies (such as the blue macaws).
There was a huge amount to enjoy and lots of animals I hadn't seen at the zoo before. Fast firsts early at the brow antlered deer, Onagers and Eurasian black vulture set the tone of 'there's another one!' for the day. I promptly broke my 'do not linger' rule for the first time at the vultures when I had been going for about 5 minutes. As a set of first things to see (if going left) the vultures / ibis, rhino and deer and butterfly house set the zoo up as focusing on large, high quality, well done exhibits, complemented by interesting information, while not forgetting the smaller details. The young rhino also established a repeating pattern for successful breeding programmes.
I enjoyed the spirit of the jaguar area (I saw the male but not the female). The sloth enclosure was certainly interesting having seen it pictured in the best sloth enclosure voting - not very naturalistic but lots of things for them to do. Obviously the sloth was asleep. Nearby I enjoyed the sand lizard exhibit and the long pathway with the information on bees. A good collection contrast of 'landmark' species and focus on conservation. Got a good view of the male Andean bear too on the way.
I did particularly enjoy the birds in all the different areas, from the aviaries opposite the chimps to the wholly impressive tropical houses and smaller walkthroughs. I had two additional pheasants and a new to me tragopan among numerous other bird firsts and got great pictures which was excellent. The quieter and smaller walkthroughs on the island area were also a big highlight for me. The wetlands is also well done with a nice variety of birds in a well constructed and incredibly attractive exhibit. A couple were having wedding photos taken in it - can't say I have seen that at a zoo before. I do love a walkthrough though and I felt heavily indulged!
Enjoyed the penguin enclosure - I wish the walkway was the same height as the penguins above the water, though the underwater viewing was excellent. Over the day bird wise I most enjoyed the silver eared mesia, Salvadori and Bronie tailed pheasants, chestnut backed thrush and blue naped mousebird. The variety of thrushes, pigeons and doves overall was excellent. I thought the walkthroughs and viewable aviaries were great (though the owls area was very standard, it had some nice birds in it) and as a bonus none of them were busy. The tropical house spaces were standout 'wow' overall. Spacious, great viewing, interesting species mix and lovely planting. I appreciated the information on the plants too, many of which were signed to the same quality as the animals. Made for an immersive experience. The plant project was also a very interesting area.
I enjoyed the 'surprises' of some of the exhibits and their design...for example arriving at the giant otters at the first set of windows I was a bit disappointed to see only a small view but then realised you could see them in areas at different places around the path. Made for a nice 'adventure' feel.
The size and scale of the 'big' set piece exhibits such as the red ape area, tropical realm and islands is astonishing and the quality of the exhibits is consistently high. A couple of more minor ones then seemed to be a bit less 'wow' in comparison (cheetahs, Okapi for example) but most things were stand out and even the less wow stuff was still good. The Okapi were being fed which made for great views. I was hoping to see the Duiker but it was a no show. There were also lots of small 'cool' moments I enjoy at a zoo like the display of parasitic wasps. The amount of investment (and indeed revenue / income generation) is in your face constantly but it seems generally well considered and thought out. A few things were for kids etc (planet shark, which I wrongly assumed had a reef or something in it) but they were being enjoyed by the target audience. I was surprised to be yelled at by a guy with a shark puppet near the chimps and I nearly jumped into their moat after he leapt out of the bushes (that's a sentence you don't write much) but it was funny and he scared two kids behind me more than me, which was a comfort!
The red ape area was the only really congested space (it was of course the end of the school holidays) but none of the Bornean orangs were about anyway, so it mostly consisted of people screaming at each other and their kids or shoving people around to get a view of precisely nothing. All the same the aviaries and other tank exhibits etc in there were good to see and super interesting. Lots of people were seeking the new baby orang so I guess that's why it was busier than other places.
I enjoyed the large group of chimps (great exhibit, love the viewing angles) and it was excellent to see the youngsters outside playing with the adults. I did again break my rule and return there more than once. Having seen pictures of the moats for chimps and orangs in the guide on keeping great apes someone had linked on here a while ago (where it talked about mitigating the dangers of apes drowning in a water barrier with the correct water levels, electric wires and waterfalls / slopes using photos of Chester enclosures as an example) it was really interesting to see all those exhibits in the flesh and appreciate the design.
I got to the Islands area last in the day for a couple of hours and felt fortunate to see a tiger as well as a sun bear. The whole area is well done and although it is heavily themed it doesn't feel ridiculous. I didn't do the boat but it looked interesting. The layout also filtered the visitors around and broke up the crowds who had been thronging at the Andean bears and capybara on the way. I enjoyed seeing a Malayan tapir, despite it being asleep. Seeing dusky pademelons for only the second time, it was then even more lovely to see one of them with a joey. The tree kangaroos were also a 'wow' and first for me. The walkthroughs on the island had no one in and again offered unusual and active birds and some nice seating to wait for the birds to emerge. The Monsoon forest area was a day highlight in a day of great moments. The different levels work really well and the free flying birds soaring about were as impressive as they were enjoyable. There were nests to look at too if you spent time looking into the planting.
Then, just before closing the Sumatran Orangs came out with two youngsters, had some fruit and played around in the late afternoon sunshine, offering unobstructed views with no glass or wire. Felt like a complete treat. The whole area was pretty quiet by then and it was a super and quite peaceful end to a really enjoyable and busy day.
I'm glad you enjoyed your day.
The south end of the penguin enclosure has the path at the same height as the penguin island.
The male cheetah you saw lives in a 1960s enclosure, and has also housed dingos, lowland paca, mara, serval and bush dogs, although not at the same time. The breeding area for cheetahs is occupied by the wild dogs at the moment.
The okapis live in what used to be the Camel House, built in the 1950s.
The south end of the penguin enclosure has the path at the same height as the penguin island.
The male cheetah you saw lives in a 1960s enclosure, and has also housed dingos, lowland paca, mara, serval and bush dogs, although not at the same time. The breeding area for cheetahs is occupied by the wild dogs at the moment.
The okapis live in what used to be the Camel House, built in the 1950s.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Thanks that’s interesting - the painted dog enclosure was indeed very nice and a good sized group there.
On the penguins I meant eye level to the water vs the island (I’ve only seen that done once at Woodside and it struck me as a great view). The underwater viewing was nice and the largest I think I’ve seen.
The older areas certainly look a bit older but they’d still be good at most zoos.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
I believe it is Burmese Brow-antlered Deer.
hari Jones
Well-Known Member
Until 2016 they were also mixed with blackbuck
Why were they removed, did they move elsewhere.
I believe they went to Knowsley and/or Hoo Farm, couldn't tell you why they moved though. Always thought it was a shame, blackbuck are a very attractive species.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I believe it is Burmese Brow-antlered Deer.
Yes - was quite excited to see them.
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Do you know if some of Chester's blackbuck did actually go to Knowsley? Some at least went to Hoo Farm but they have died out there now afaik.
I remember hearing it somewhere here a while ago, how true it is, I am not sure.
