Chester Zoo Chester Zoo News 2021

[Brum]

Visited yesterday(22/07) and had a fantastic visit as always but boy was it hot! Because of the heat we had a few notable no-shows, Sifaka being the worst as they were the main reason for visiting, and the Roan as I needed them for the European challenge. Also missed out on three species for the Worldwide challenge as Fruit Bat Forest was closed. Did go two zoos for two for both Aye-aye and Jumping Rat which is a vast improvement on last years total of zero for three...

Still a rather enjoyable visit despite these setbacks, and the only major new development (Latin American aviary) was pretty nice. The former Tuatara exhibit in Tropical Realm doesn't work as a mixed species exhibit though as it's nigh on impossible to spot anything in there, but the single Tuatara in its new exhibit was showing really well. Only major drawback was the fact that we thought the zoo was open until six but we discovered that doesn't kick in until Saturday...

And on a personal note, had my first zoo beer of 2021 outside the Oakfield. The greatest beer I've drank this year, and by far the most refreshing one at that as well.

 

[gentle lemur]

Visited yesterday(22/07) and had a fantastic visit as always but boy was it hot! . . . Did go two zoos for two for both Aye-aye and Jumping Rat which is a vast improvement on last years total of zero for three...

Is the upper floor of the Tropical House open again too? Tough luck with the sifakas.

 

[Brum]

Is the upper floor of the Tropical House open again too?

We didn't check the ramp but I didn't see any visitors up there despite the house being quite busy so I assumed it was still sealed off.

Tough luck with the sifakas.

I'm sure I'll be back before too long...

 

[bongorob]

We've all suffered from ITS (invisible tuatara syndrome)

Is that a similar illness to invisible blue-legged mantella syndrome?

 

[gentle lemur]

Is that a similar illness to invisible blue-legged mantella syndrome?

Ouch!
I really did see part of a blue leg, it just belonged to stick insect rather than a mantella

 

[TriUK]

To CZ regulars - what is the best time of day, if any, to see the Sifaka active please?

 

[Brum]

To CZ regulars - what is the best time of day, if any, to see the Sifaka active please?

We were told that they're usually active all day, we just happened to visit when it was pushing 35 degrees and the Sifaka just weren't interested in doing anything.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

We were told that they're usually active all day, we just happened to visit when it was pushing 35 degrees and the Sifaka just weren't interested in doing anything.

At that temperature they would be dozing too in their natural habitat of north-western Madagascar.

 

[Maguari]

We were told that they're usually active all day, we just happened to visit when it was pushing 35 degrees and the Sifaka just weren't interested in doing anything.

Tuesday wasn't much cooler and I saw them outside only briefly at the start of the day and then active in the indoor enclosure when I went back around lunchtime. By my end-of-day look they had gone to ground completely.

 

[Brum]

Tuesday wasn't much cooler and I saw them outside only briefly at the start of the day and then active in the indoor enclosure when I went back around lunchtime. By my end-of-day look they had gone to ground completely.

We were just really unlucky according to the volunteer and a keeper we spoke to, as there is usually some activity at some point. Longest I've spent at a single enclosure at Chester since we all tried (and failed) helping Chris spot the Black-lion Tamarins all those years ago...

 

[littleRedPanda]

they have been a lot less active this last week

 

[GiraffeJack10]

I just got back from my first visit to Chester zoo in well over a year. Since my last visit there have been lots of changes including the new lion enclosure, the flamingo aviary, the reopening of monsoon forest and the arrival of sifakas just to name a few. I arrived just before my time slot of 12 o'clock so I used the time to go into the indoor elephant house.

Once I actually got into the zoo I was shocked at how busy it was, you'd have no idea that there is still a pandemic. I went straight to the black rhinos and wild dogs because this area of the zoo is usually the quietest. I saw 3 rhino including a youngster. When I got round to the ardvark I was really surprised to see that they were actually awake and active in the indoor area of their enclosure.

Islands was very busy as you'd expect but the majority of the species were active. I was really disappointed that the tigers were a no-show. I've visited multiple times but I've never seen the tigers since they moved to islands. The monsoon forest wasn't too busy except for the viewing area for the primates which was rammed and you'd be lucky to get a decent view.

After this I went towards the older half of the zoo. I've never been into the butterfly house before and I don't think I'll go again. I understand that it's the summer holidays but the butterfly house was full of people all at a complete standstill. It's a beautiful area but certainly not one you want to be in on a crowded, hot summer's day.

The lion enclosure looked fantastic and not very busy but unfortunately they were another no-show. I don't seem to have much luck with large carnivores at Chester.

The left half of Spirit of the Jaguar contained the bush dogs which were very active. An annoyingly large crowd had formed around the very inactive and, in my opinion, boring sloth area. There was building work going on in the central area but I'm not sure what it is. The female jaguar Goshi was outside and active but the male Napo was nowhere to be seen.

Realm of the Red Ape was very busy with a large queue but once inside it calmed down. The reptile collection in there is very impressive and certainly a highlight. I only saw one large gibbon outside and one Bornean orangutan inside. In the last enclosure to the right of the exit had a red panda inside. It was running up and down on the ledge and almost fell at one point which was quite frightening given the height of the drop.

The penguin enclosure was very busy so I decided not to stick around despite them being a very entertaining species. I didn't go in the flamingo aviary but you can still get a decent view from outside. It looks okay but personally I preferred the previous flamingo enclosure. I didn't go into the aquarium so i can't comment on any changes there.

Around now, 4pm, the zoo started to get quieter and far more enjoyable. The Komodo dragon was sitting near the viewing window inside. Madagascar is a really nice area. I saw one fossa inside but awake and a group of ring-tailed lemurs in the walkthrough, face coverings are mandatory here. The sifaka were also very active and a real treat to see.

The Congo buffalo and okapi were both no-shows but the giraffe certainly didn't disappoint and they're certainly a species I could spend all day watching. The house was very busy so I only went in to get to the okapi house where I didn't see any okapi.

The chimpanzees were mostly outdoors and it was very nice to see the 'baby' playing, especially since there are very few baby chimpanzees in UK zoos at the moment.
Tropical realm was very pleasant with such an interesting and diverse collection of reptiles, amphibians and birds. There are also caiman which I don't remember seeing before. Are these a fairly recent addition or am I just being forgetful? Also the aye-aye area is open even though I didn't see them.

Overall it was a very nice day but I wouldn't recommend visiting Chester zoo during the summer holidays unless you are incredibly patient or visit later in the afternoon. I'm only 15 so I'm not too worried about catching the virus but it certainly didn't feel as safe as it could've been. We might be on our way out of the pandemic but the risk is very much still there. For older or more vulnerable visitors I would recommend waiting a little while longer before visiting a big zoo like Chester.

 

[Maguari]

Glad you had a good day!

I wouldn't recommend visiting Chester zoo during the summer holidays

I went on a weekday in the last week before the holidays started (in most places) and was surprised how quiet the place was. Those school holidays have a massive effect. I did make a point of booking a day off work so I could avoid a weekend though..!

The caiman have been there for a few years now - they were the only crocodilians on show for a time when they arrived IIRC (and again while Monsoon Forest was being rebuilt).

 

[Indlovu]

I went on a weekday in the last week before the holidays started (in most places) and was surprised how quiet the place was. Those school holidays have a massive effect. I did make a point of booking a day off work so I could avoid a weekend though..!

This is absolutely true. Unfortunately I'm a school teacher so I'm not going to be able to enjoy a quiet day at Chester for a while, but when I get the chance I'll be sure to update the Chester Zoo News 2076 thread.

The caiman have been there for a few years now - they were the only crocodilians on show for a time when they arrived IIRC (and again while Monsoon Forest was being rebuilt).

The Spectacled Caiman arrived in 2011, replacing the Philippine Crocodiles. There was talk at the time of the Philippine Crocs returning in Islands, although they didn't feature in the final plans.

I didn't go in the flamingo aviary but you can still get a decent view from outside. It looks okay but personally I preferred the previous flamingo enclosure.

I think this is harsh! I think the revamped aviary is a great development in that part of the zoo, with superb viewing and a greater range of species on display. Seeing the large trees in the enclosure getting some use from the Ibis has been really impressive.

 

[GiraffeJack10]

This is absolutely true. Unfortunately I'm a school teacher so I'm not going to be able to enjoy a quiet day at Chester for a while, but when I get the chance I'll be sure to update the Chester Zoo News 2076 thread.



The Spectacled Caiman arrived in 2011, replacing the Philippine Crocodiles. There was talk at the time of the Philippine Crocs returning in Islands, although they didn't feature in the final plans.



I think this is harsh! I think the revamped aviary is a great development in that part of the zoo, with superb viewing and a greater range of species on display. Seeing the large trees in the enclosure getting some use from the Ibis has been really impressive.

The aviary might be nice but I'm not a big fan of the big and rather unattractive appearance from the outside. Honestly I think that there are some other areas of the zoo that could've done with a revamp instead of the flamingos. Most notably the indoor area to the chimp enclosure. It's one of very few enclosures in the zoo that I don't like. I understand that it is very old but I would love to see the chimps having a larger and more visually appealing indoor area.

 

[Maguari]

The aviary might be nice but I'm not a big fan of the big and rather unattractive appearance from the outside.

It's not designed to be viewed from outside though.

It looks great inside and will look even better with a chance for the greenery to grow in. It allows (new additions to) the flamingo flock to be fully-flighted, so is a major animal welfare improvement.

That said, I would also like to see the back of the Chimp House..!

 

[GiraffeJack10]

It's not designed to be viewed from outside though.

It looks great inside and will look even better with a chance for the greenery to grow in. It allows (new additions to) the flamingo flock to be fully-flighted, so is a major animal welfare improvement.

That said, I would also like to see the back of the Chimp House..!

Yeah I'm sure in time the flamingo aviary will grow on me eventually but I was just disappointed and a bit surprised that that took priority over development of other areas because personally I didn't see anything wrong with the previous flamingo enclosure.

 

[Maguari]

personally I didn't see anything wrong with the previous flamingo enclosure.

It required pinioning or wing-clipping on the birds and it allowed mixing with wild birds, which meant the birds couldn't use the main enclosure during bird flu alerts.

The new enclosure fixes both these issues in one fell swoop, and allows other species to be mixed in.

Notice that almost every 'paddock' bird enclosure is now an aviary - just a few of the cranes left now I think (excepting the penguins and cassowaries, where pinioning is obviously not an issue..!).

 

[GiraffeJack10]

It required pinioning or wing-clipping on the birds and it allowed mixing with wild birds, which meant the birds couldn't use the main enclosure during bird flu alerts.

The new enclosure fixes both these issues in one fell swoop, and allows other species to be mixed in.

Notice that almost every 'paddock' bird enclosure is now an aviary - just a few of the cranes left now I think (excepting the penguins and cassowaries, where pinioning is obviously not an issue..!).

That actually makes a lot of sense. Do you know if any other UK zoos keep their flamingos in an aviary or is Chester the first?

 

[Maguari]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Do you know if any other UK zoos keep their flamingos in an aviary or is Chester the first?

Not the first - Bristol's have been in an aviary for some years, just off the top of my head, but it's certainly not the standard yet. I think it will be though.