Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion and Questions 2024

Does anyone know how many Tutara live at Chester? I would check the inventories but it looks like they’ve been removed from the website?

I went BTS in Tropical Realm and there is a small room full of tanks with Tutara in. It was an amazing experience to feed the Great Hornbills while I was inside there aviary. I never knew the enclosure used to be home to gorillas.

Another interesting thing to do was go into the Amphibian and Reptile pods where I was able to see a baby Bermuda Skink and see all of the amphibians in the pods.
 
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Pandaboi said:
Does anyone know how many Tutara live at Chester? I would check the inventories but it looks like they’ve been removed from the website?

I went BTS in Tropical Realm and there is a small room full of tanks with Tutara in. It was an amazing experience to feed the Great Hornbills while I was inside there aviary. I never knew the enclosure used to be home to gorillas.

Another interesting thing to do was go into the Amphibian and Reptile pods where I was able to see a baby Bermuda Skink and see all of the amphibians in the pods.
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I am not sure if you still can but you used to be able see the old doors for the Gorillas from the Red River Hog enclosure.
 
James Barber said:
I am not sure if you still can but you used to be able see the old doors for the Gorillas from the Red River Hog enclosure.
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It was a fascinating experience. Me and a few colleagues went up for the day.

I remember walking into the aviary and it’s quite a narrow hallway with a short roof (of course I banged my head on a pipe) and the idea of the enclosure was that gorillas would be looking into a rainforest (tropical realm). I did learn a lot about the history of the building and how it used to be (please correct me if I’m wrong) two bus containers? And Mr Mottershead cemented them together to create the tropical realm.

I was able to see the rare Javan Green Magpies, Robin Chats, Doves and other species when I went on top of Tropical Realm.
 
jde7582 said:
I think most of the volunteers although mean we'll, sometimes have not quite 100% information and sometimes rely stuff other visitors have said they may not be correct.
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Last month I had a discussion with a volunteer who pointed out a bird to me. It was a Black-breasted Barbet. He pointed to the sign for Superb Fruit Dove and told me that was what I was looking at. No pigeon species I know makes a harsh sound like a barbet. I told him it was the Barbet, and he replied that species was not signed. It is, but in another part of the building.
 
bongorob said:
Last month I had a discussion with a volunteer who pointed out a bird to me. It was a Black-breasted Barbet. He pointed to the sign for Superb Fruit Dove and told me that was what I was looking at. No pigeon species I know makes a harsh sound like a barbet. I told him it was the Barbet, and he replied that species was not signed. It is, but in another part of the building.
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Let’s not start ‘volunteer bashing’ on here. If an organisation doesn’t train people (both staff and volunteers) up to a high standard (and I’m not saying Chester doesn’t) then it’s up to the volunteers and staff to do their best. It’s also up to us to politely point out to anyone who gives misinformation what the correct info is. Did you point them in the direction of the correct signage to help them out?
 
polarbear said:
Let’s not start ‘volunteer bashing’ on here. If an organisation doesn’t train people (both staff and volunteers) up to a high standard (and I’m not saying Chester doesn’t) then it’s up to the volunteers and staff to do their best. It’s also up to us to politely point out to anyone who gives misinformation what the correct info is. Did you point them in the direction of the correct signage to help them out?
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Well, thing is a volunteer needs to be reflecting on the feedback they got. Clearly, a fruit dove looks very different to a barbet.... Look at the bill for once!
 
polarbear said:
Let’s not start ‘volunteer bashing’ on here. If an organisation doesn’t train people (both staff and volunteers) up to a high standard (and I’m not saying Chester doesn’t) then it’s up to the volunteers and staff to do their best. It’s also up to us to politely point out to anyone who gives misinformation what the correct info is. Did you point them in the direction of the correct signage to help them out?
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Of course I did.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Well, thing is a volunteer needs to be reflecting on the feedback they got. Clearly, a fruit dove looks very different to a barbet.... Look at the bill for once!
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Good that they were told so that they could use the info for the future.
 
PossumRoach said:
Or a barbet simply does not look like a dove at all
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I work in my freetime as an educational staffer and do regular tours. Well, it is my duty to reflect on my work and if it appears a guest or visitor knows something original or more I get triggered to be interested. Essentially: I learn, I query and I research and next round I know ... and am prepared for the same query.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I work in my freetime as an educational staffer and do regular tours. Well, it is my duty to reflect on my work and if it appears a guest or visitor knows something original or more I get triggered to be interested. Essentially: I learn, I query and I research and next round I know ... and am prepared for the same query.
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Exactly how I approach my volunteering / work too. No point being interested in something if you’re not going to get anything out of it yourself as well as others.
 
polarbear said:
Exactly how I approach my volunteering / work too. No point being interested in something if you’re not going to get anything out of it yourself as well as others.
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I totally agree, working with animals ,I find is a wonderful way of learning so much. Even when you think that you know about a certain species, sometimes things happen to change your perspective
 
bongorob said:
That must be what I'm thinking of. The 2023 animal inventory does not show any tuatara leaving Chester during 2023 which is why I thought it was this year. So it seems they have 1.3.3 at the moment.
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@bongorob, as You are well aware travel and Discovery has been a bit slow for me - related to some unfortunate personal circumstances - what still bothers me or keeps up the wonder: What happened exactly to the old exclosure in the old Tropical Forest building and what does the current exclosure look like?
 
The old tuarara Enclosure is now a Madagascan reptiles exhibit, with 4 lizard species in there Cuvier's Spiny-tailed Iguana, Sutheastern Girdled Lizard, Giant Day Gecko (P.grandis) and a chameleon, I think Northern Parsons.

I have photos of the new Tuatara enclosure which is on the site of the old Galapagos Giant Tortoise enclosure. I'll try to find them and post in the gallery.
 
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