Thank you MagpieGoose 
I can't seem to find any entries about Kirana's transfer to a zoo in Europe. Maybe she died?
I can't seem to find any entries about Kirana's transfer to a zoo in Europe. Maybe she died?Chester Zoo Chester Zoo in 2016 #1
- Thread starter oflory
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It has been refurbished for Komodo Dragons. One of the females was due to be placed there today but the weather took a turn for the worse and she was kept indoors.
Don't miss the short-eared elephant shrews in the Okapi House, most active first thing in the morning in my limited experience. If you then go on to the Tropical House you will also see the caiman lizards at their most active - but you may want to return in the afternoon to see the tuataras out of their burrows (not to be missed). Don't forget the gallery of the Tropical House, the Luzon scops owls are right at the far end (they now have a pair on display) and there are several fruit doves and the green aracari pair up there too.
The sand lizards are quite easy to spot if the sun is out - but don't bother if it's a dull day. I rarely see the hyacinthine or blue-throated macaws nearby, although I can usually hear them. Don't miss the hanging parrots in RotRA or the Philippine chevrotains in Dragons in Danger - if you do go on Thursday, you'll be able to see the dinosaurs too
You will want to spend some time in Islands, don't miss the tentacled snakes, the liquorice gouramis and the vampire crabs in the first section of the Monsoon Forest (with the orangs & gibbons) or the turtles in with the Tomistoma - which can be hard to see. I wouldn't miss the Islands boat trip unless there is a significant queue: Pertinax was not particularly impressed, but I like seeing the enclosures from different viewpoints - I'd even consider going back for it if I had time before the zoo closed. A couple of times that might interest you from recent visits, feeding time for the aye-ayes was about 12.15 and in the Tsavo Aviary at about 2.15.
Hope this helps.
Alan
Tuatara was out about 4 p.m. anyway.
I did quite enjoy the boat ride, but as an enforced rest rather than for seeing many animals.
Giant Otter talk and feed is good at 2.15.p.m. if you want to see these active and swimming.
You may have to search for the Sumatran orangutans as they can be indoors, out of doors or in the offshow tunnels.
Get there as early as you can- you will need all the time you have available.
The Wetlands Aviary has now been stocked with waterfowl.
Baer's Pochard
Cape Teal
Old World Comb Duck
Marbled Teal
White-headed Duck
White-faced Whistling duck
African White-backed Duck
Hottentot Teal
Ruddy Shelduck
Red-billed Duck
West African Crowned Crane is labelled, but they are not in there yet.
Baer's Pochard
Cape Teal
Old World Comb Duck
Marbled Teal
White-headed Duck
White-faced Whistling duck
African White-backed Duck
Hottentot Teal
Ruddy Shelduck
Red-billed Duck
West African Crowned Crane is labelled, but they are not in there yet.
The talks are on a weekly rota, which avoids them becoming routine. You can look this up on the website to find out the schedule for the day you visit or check when you enter the zoo.
Alan
Why do they not mix the talks up more often? As a member they have become rather repetitive and mainly concentrate on the same species, granted it changes every day but they are more or less the same each week. I recall them doing talks and feeding the big cats a long time ago but this hasn't been done for a while any idea why this is? They also have several enclosures with speakers disguised as rocks around them (lions, spectacled bears, sun bears) which are never utilised and are very intresting species? It would also be interesting if they were to do talks over on islands as they could really reinforce to the public the conservation work that they do. Are they likely to do so?
It would also be interesting if they were to do talks over on islands as they could really reinforce to the public the conservation work that they do. Are they likely to do so?
I think they will do so in the future.
They used to do a lion talk.
I have just looked through the rota of talks. They certainly could do more of them, not just in Islands, but for the sun bears, hunting dogs, zebras and Indian rhinos too. But I think we have to realise that their content is pretty much at Entry Level (to use a term from education) and will not contain much that is new for ZooChatters - although the latest information about individuals is always worth having. There are also the longer 'Discover' sessions, which I presume are less formal, but I don't think I have ever been to one of those.
I agree about the loudspeakers. I was watching the chimps during the talk a few weeks ago, on a fairly busy day, and I could not hear the presenter properly, although I was not standing very far from her. Perhaps a better solution than static loudspeakers would be to get something like a golf buggy and rig up a speaker on it, which would be much more flexible and could also allow an extra talk or two to be added to the day.
Alan
I agree about the loudspeakers. I was watching the chimps during the talk a few weeks ago, on a fairly busy day, and I could not hear the presenter properly, although I was not standing very far from her. Perhaps a better solution than static loudspeakers would be to get something like a golf buggy and rig up a speaker on it, which would be much more flexible and could also allow an extra talk or two to be added to the day.
Alan
For me the value is chiefly in the chance to see a species active or visible where it isn't/wasn't otherwise. I doubt I'd have seen the Giant Otters so active without it. Could have done with one for the Spectacled Bears too!
taun
Well-Known Member
Bad timing I would suggest...
Giant otters usually quite active when I have seen them.Would love to know if a new male is in the pipe line any time soon as the enclosure is wasted on just a couple of animals.
Bad timing I would suggest...
Would love to know if a new male is in the pipe line any time soon as the enclosure is wasted on just a couple of animals.
They're going to have to import from outside of Europe due to the current EEP situation which is why its taking longer than a European transfer... Sadly a lot of the younger European stock (including Chester's offspring) are currently unable to breed due to lack of unrelated individuals in Europe. Hence why some individuals (like Chestnut Centre's male cubs) have been exported to Central and South America recently
Moreover, I believe there is also a shortage of new holders within the EEP; as such there is a request for no further breeding to take place with existing pairs until more collections go into the species.
Bad timing I would suggest...
Would love to know if a new male is in the pipe line any time soon as the enclosure is wasted on just a couple of animals.
They were out and about but not swimming- at least until the talk when fish was thrown for them.
There is currently just the mother and one daughter- not sure if I heard him say the second daughter had died recently?
If so, that would be a recent development - and a great shame.
There are definately only two now- but not sure if he said the other had died or been sent away- it isn't at Chester anyway.
volvox
Well-Known Member
We had a fabulous time at Chester on Wednesday (in spite of the weather: dull, drizzly and cold). We were there from 10.15 to 5.45 and still didn't see everything, so a good excuse to go back!
It's such a beautiful zoo; we were astonished by the sheer size and quality both of the zoo itself and the animals' areas. It makes "our" zoo (London) look a bit compact, but then we are a city zoo.
Highlights: short-eared elephant shrews (thanks for the tip!) which I've never seen before. Bush dogs which were very lively and which I'd never heard of. The tuataras – just saw one head peeking out of his burrow but that's better than nothing! The (two) giant otters, very active, though not in the water, and so much bigger than the oriental short-clawed I'm used to. And (thanks for the tip again) the tentacled snakes. Amazing!
Those are all animals I've never seen before which makes them extra special; but there were plenty of other delights. The best for me was the fruit bat forest which I thought was brilliant - having those big animals fly around your head - really special. And the Tropical Realm is a marvellous enclosure… so big.
The butterfly walkthrough has lovely planting but otherwise not up to London's standard (we have to have something a bit better!). Nothing like as many butterflies and less variety; and we make a lot more of the puparium and caterpillar display and have volunteers there to go through metamorphosis etc, we get loads of questions.
I didn't like the Island… most people probably will but it's not for me; too theme-parky and more about people (or children) than animals. Very similar to London's Land of the Lions which I feel similarly about. Only one in three boats had any passengers and the empty ones just circulated rather forlornly. We met and chatted to some lovely volunteers there – thanks for all the helpful information and tips!
So, a lovely visit and I will go again. We didn't manage all of it and ran out of time before we could go on the monorail, which I think I would have enjoyed more than the boat ride!
It's such a beautiful zoo; we were astonished by the sheer size and quality both of the zoo itself and the animals' areas. It makes "our" zoo (London) look a bit compact, but then we are a city zoo.
Highlights: short-eared elephant shrews (thanks for the tip!) which I've never seen before. Bush dogs which were very lively and which I'd never heard of. The tuataras – just saw one head peeking out of his burrow but that's better than nothing! The (two) giant otters, very active, though not in the water, and so much bigger than the oriental short-clawed I'm used to. And (thanks for the tip again) the tentacled snakes. Amazing!
Those are all animals I've never seen before which makes them extra special; but there were plenty of other delights. The best for me was the fruit bat forest which I thought was brilliant - having those big animals fly around your head - really special. And the Tropical Realm is a marvellous enclosure… so big.
The butterfly walkthrough has lovely planting but otherwise not up to London's standard (we have to have something a bit better!). Nothing like as many butterflies and less variety; and we make a lot more of the puparium and caterpillar display and have volunteers there to go through metamorphosis etc, we get loads of questions.
I didn't like the Island… most people probably will but it's not for me; too theme-parky and more about people (or children) than animals. Very similar to London's Land of the Lions which I feel similarly about. Only one in three boats had any passengers and the empty ones just circulated rather forlornly. We met and chatted to some lovely volunteers there – thanks for all the helpful information and tips!
So, a lovely visit and I will go again. We didn't manage all of it and ran out of time before we could go on the monorail, which I think I would have enjoyed more than the boat ride!
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