Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Visit 14/8/09

ChesterGemsbok

Well-Known Member
Hi every1,
I visited Chester with my Aunty a few days ago and thought i could give u all a low-down of my visit. But it's really palain and baisicly notes of my visit.

I arrived at 10:30 which is quite un-usual for me as i always arrive in the after-noon (as i'm a memeber but my aunty was not so we had the whole day there). First off we saw the elephants and the ones that were out all crowded around the posts on the far left of the paddock (near the entrance) leaning over to eat the foliage. Next Monkeys, this was way too crowded so me and my aunt decided to come back. On Asian Plains Patna (the Indian rhino) was the only animal out exept for a herd of Black-Buck, but they all were lying down by the fence. We then went over Bats Bridge. From the Bridge we only saw "Kinky" the Cheetah, none of the males were out (or un-less we couldn't see them from the bridge). Hubba the Anoa was out on the paddock but he was right at the back near his stable. We took a right from the bridge to the Servals. We only saw one sleeping on the platform. Kangaroos were all lying down but not sleeping. Cassowaries were picking at the grass. A keeper was feeding the bush dogs and we got a really good view of the Pups. Red Pandas were sleeping up on the tree closest to the Bongo. The Bongo were all lying down near thir stable. We only saw Agouti in the Parrot Breeding Center. Asoka and Asha dozing on the grass. We couldn't see any of the tigers. We saw the new sealions and there was a keeper standing in the paddock watching them. The library was closed as they need a new librarian. But outside the library there is a very intresting plaques telling the Hostory of Chester Zoo, I spent quite a while studying it while my Aunty was in the Aquarium. RoRA was wey too busy so we just went straight through to see the new otter and babirusa exhibit. Didn't see any otters but the 2 Babirusa that we saw started to fight and some people came to the scene but it was nothing serious. The Chimps were out sitting on the concrete bit before their door and there was about 1 adult and 2 young chimps inside the house. Giraffe and Okapi were out so we didn't go inside the House (shame now as the baby Giraffe was in there). The pigs and Buffalo were outside but we went inside the house anyway. No sign of the Ring-Tail lemurs. Norman and Flora were both under the lamps in different enclosures. The Vultures in Europe on the Edge were eating Rabbits. We then went on the Monorail to Monkey Islands We wnt to see Monkey Island again. The spider monkeys cam right up to the glass. Mandrills were beig fed and the Maqaques were playing inside. Patna and Batschii (Indian Rhino) were outside and the Black-Buck were running about. The Bears weren't out but a keeper was feeding the tapir. Miniture Monkeys was good as the cotton tops were playing right at the end of the path on the end tree. I saw the 2 Dik-Diks out. The Gemsboks were on their Hard standing area. The have painted the back fences of the Gemsbok hard standing area a light peachy-orange. Monorail once agaim. Good view of the Horses and Hoof Stock. We walked through the farm and passed the Flamingos and saw the Ring-Tails all sunggled up on their roof. Over the Elephant Bridge. My Aunty wanted a gift from the shop. and we went Home.

ChesterGemsbok
;)
 
You saw the dik-diks, they are amazing animals.

If you want to go into RoRA you need to make it your first point of call. On my last visit the queue was all the way down the ramp and along the path at about 1.30pm.

The on show parrot aviary is a disappointment, the parrots hardly ever seem to come outside, but the staff are hoping to introduce some different birds which it is hoped will be more visible.
 
The parrot aviary is a bit hit & miss, i find. There will either by nothing on-show or both amazon species and agoutis will be out.
RORA can get extremly busy which is why i tend to visit it right before i leave.
I cant wait to see the Dik-Dik's though - which should hopefully happen on the 21st.
Quick note, you mention Cotton Topped Tamarins in Mini Monkeys. It's been at least 3 years since these guys left, so im presuming Pied Tamarins here?
 
The parrot aviary is a bit hit & miss, i find. There will either by nothing on-show or both amazon species and agoutis will be out.
RORA can get extremly busy which is why i tend to visit it right before i leave.
I cant wait to see the Dik-Dik's though - which should hopefully happen on the 21st.
Quick note, you mention Cotton Topped Tamarins in Mini Monkeys. It's been at least 3 years since these guys left, so im presuming Pied Tamarins here?

Oh sorry, the pied tamarins i saw, my head was in the clouds when i written that post!
:o
 
You saw the dik-diks, they are amazing animals.

If you want to go into RoRA you need to make it your first point of call. On my last visit the queue was all the way down the ramp and along the path at about 1.30pm.

The on show parrot aviary is a disappointment, the parrots hardly ever seem to come outside, but the staff are hoping to introduce some different birds which it is hoped will be more visible.

Do you know what species they are thinking of introducing into the Parrot Breeding Centre avairy?
 
It was hoped to put one of the Lorikeets in there. Other than that I don't know.
 
The on show parrot aviary is a disappointment, the parrots hardly ever seem to come outside, but the staff are hoping to introduce some different birds which it is hoped will be more visible.

Most of chesters parrot aviaries seem to be a disappointment (ie very rarely any parrots on view!). Something i learned in a behind the scene tour at Lorro Parque in Tenerife(one of the foremost parrot breeding centres in the world) is that most parrots hate to feel exposed to the light. They are used to living in the canopy beneath lots of leaves and branches, and most zoo enclosures do not offer them this same level of security. Although chester has planted inside the aviaries the 'roof' tends to be exposed wire mesh, so, the parrots may not feel happy to come out as there is no overhead cover(so they prefer to stay inside). Lorro Parque covered the roof of most of their outside aviaries and apparantly saw a huge increase in breeding success.
Now, i'm sure chester must be really experienced in the do's and don'ts of rare parrot breeding, and i certainly do not claim to be an expert, but there could be something in this??!! i wonder if chester keepers have ever considered giving their birds more overhead cover?
 
. Something i learned in a behind the scene tour at Lorro Parque in Tenerife(one of the foremost parrot breeding centres in the world) is that most parrots hate to feel exposed to the light. They are used to living in the canopy beneath lots of leaves and branches. Although chester has planted inside the aviaries the 'roof' tends to be exposed wire mesh, so, the parrots may not feel happy to come out as there is no overhead cover(so they prefer to stay inside) i wonder if chester keepers have ever considered giving their birds more overhead cover?

Big parallels here with Gorillas and some other species of forest dwelling Primates- exactly the same reluctance to use exposed 'open' enclosures- and for exactly the same reasons...
 
It's strange that so many parrots were so easy to see at Chester in the past, and often bred in aviaires exposed to the sky.
 
The number of Parrots on-show at the moment is very dissapointing. It was bound to be lower after the Parrot House was demolished but at the moment we only have the 3 species in Mythical Macaws, the Parakeets in Elephants of the Asian Forests, the 2 amazon species and around 5 species in the Round Aviaries. It doesnt help when delights like the Vasa Parrots leave the collection.
 
It's strange that so many parrots were so easy to see at Chester in the past, and often bred in aviaires exposed to the sky.

I have never noticed any reluctance of Parrots generally to show themselves anywhere. But its an intruging suggestion with parallels to the forest primates. Possibly it may be truer of smaller, shyer species?- not the bold Macaws or cockatoos which after all fly long distances in the open sky(but so do Amazons, Conures etc:confused:)
 
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