Chester Zoo Chester Zoo News 2023

The Chester Zoo AGM was on Thursday, 15 June. There is a Directors Update from the AGM on the website which includes a reference to the next large project after 2025. This will be the African Forest and will include the area vacated by the giraffes, the Tropical Realm and the chimps. Jamie Christon stated that they are in the early stages but details may emerge later this year but certainly before next years AGM. There is no reference to increasing the elephant enclosure which has been mooted before.
AGM director update | Chester Zoo
 
One species being bred off-show at Chester Zoo mentioned in the AGM video from the link above that I think is very interesting is the scarce yellow stonefly Isogenus nubecula - a species that was rediscovered in 2017 in the River Dee, having thought to have been extinct in the UK since 1995. The River Dee is the only place in Western Europe the species is currently known to live in - the nearest population is in Austria.

Nymphs were brought into captivity at Chester Zoo to trial their breeding, and they have managed to successfully rear the nymphs to adulthood, get eggs from them and now have a new generation of nymphs.
 
derek said:
This will be the African Forest and will include the area vacated by the giraffes, the Tropical Realm and the chimps.
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That sounds interesting, though I do wonder what will happen to the species in the Tropical Realm once development on the African Forest begins, whether they'll be moved to other areas of the zoo or leave the collection completely. I'm mostly thinking about the South American species like the spectacled caiman, emerald tree boa and poison dart frogs, it would be such a shame to see them go if that's the plan for them. Has anything more been said about when development will start on the new snow leopard area? Is the opening still on track for 2024?
 
Jambi said:
That sounds interesting, though I do wonder what will happen to the species in the Tropical Realm once development on the African Forest begins, whether they'll be moved to other areas of the zoo or leave the collection completely. I'm mostly thinking about the South American species like the spectacled caiman, emerald tree boa and poison dart frogs, it would be such a shame to see them go if that's the plan for them. Has anything more been said about when development will start on the new snow leopard area? Is the opening still on track for 2024?
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I think the caiman will leave the zoo. Their owner does not want Chester to breed them. The original Heart of Africa plans mentioned slender-snouted crocodile, perhaps they will replace the caiman.
 
bongorob said:
I think the caiman will leave the zoo. Their owner does not want Chester to breed them. The original Heart of Africa plans mentioned slender-snouted crocodile, perhaps they will replace the caiman.
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Do you also think there could also be a slight chance of the west African dwarf cross returning aswell
 
I do not know Hari. I wouldn't think they have a definate species list since they are just drawing up the plans.

From what I remember about the Heart of Africa 2000s version included were.

Lowland Gorilla
Bongo
Sitatunga
Western Chimpanzee
Okapi
Colobus Monkey
Drill
Pygmy Hippopotamus
African Grey Parrot
Slender-snouted Crocodile
 
bongorob said:
I do not know Hari. I wouldn't think they have a definate species list since they are just drawing up the plans.

From what I remember about the Heart of Africa 2000s version included were.

Lowland Gorilla
Bongo
Sitatunga
Western Chimpanzee
Okapi
Colobus Monkey
Drill
Pygmy Hippopotamus
African Grey Parrot
Slender-snouted Crocodile
Click to expand...
I think most of that list will stay the same, I think they maybe would have mandrills rather than drills as they already have mandrills and swap colobus monkeys for cherry crowned mangabey or white capped mangabey just because they’re more endangered or maybe king colobus
 
Chester’s press release on Komodo dragon hatchlings:

World's largest lizards hatch | Chester Zoo

We have been eagerly awaiting this moment after we successfully introduced female dragon Mezcal with male Satali and they seemed to hit it off straight away. A month later we found a clutch of eggs that had been laid and we carefully placed them in a special incubator where they have been monitored closely for several months.
 
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