Chester Zoo Chimpanzee House

[Ashley]

Morning all. I've had a curious incident occur overnight insomuch as a comment has been left on a video of mine that features the chimpanzee house that seems to be looking for an argument. It reads as follows:

You refer to the animals that are not so far different from Humans as 'Little blighters' - perhaps you could help design a new exhibit for the chimpanzees at chester - one that is not 5o years old and that takes into account their well-being - great texture maps and 3D visuals but these are living creatures you depict living within a very small pyramid housing for 50 years plus. Would you like to live in there?

And I have replied:

Hi Andrew, thank you for watching, I really appreciate it. With regards your concerns as to the chimpanzee housing, I take your point, though I disagree as to the quality and space offered by Chester Zoo. I've certainly seen worse enclosures. Having said that, I think there's always room to offer a better living space to those animals that have been given no choice but to live in captivity. You're taking it up with the wrong person, though, as this is a game and the task I've set myself is to recreate Chester Zoo. As for calling them 'little blighters,' it's a colloquial term that carries with it a level of affection, so I'm not really sure why you'd take issue with it.

The commenter seems like he may have some level of naturalist credentials and his comments have got me thinking for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I've always considered Chester's Chimpanzee enclosure to be pretty good, especially when compared to other zoos I've visited, and secondly, I thought they had a larger indoor space next door to the on-show area with the climbing frame that's in the 'pyramid' building. Is that incorrect?

So how does Chester Zoo's chimpanzee habitat rate? Is it shonky and should be torn down immediately, or is it actually pretty good and wholly fit for purpose?

On a side note, that last question he asks, would I like to live there, always strikes me as such an imbecilic question to ask, given that chimpanzees probably wouldn't be all that happy living in my house. Different animals have different wants and needs and I'd expect an even halfway thinking human being, let alone a self-style naturalist to understand that.

 

[Indlovu]

I think the chimpanzee house has for some time been my least favourite enclosure at Chester, although the outdoor enclosure is widely, and deservedly, recognised as excellent. The indoor will be replaced at some point down the line - the Zoo gave a date of 2026 for this back in 2017, but one would imagine that this will now be delayed.

This was part of a wider long-term plan, summarised by bongorob back in the 2017 news thread. Who knows how the loss of income due to Coronavirus will affected these.

gotillas are coming, in about 10 years


The redevelopment of the zoo will proceed as planned, for the next 5 years anyway.

The new penguin enclosure and the tree kangaroo/pademelon exhibit both open in the spring of 2018. The lemur walkthrough with a breeding group of ring-tailed lemurs will open in the Autumn, as will the fossa exhibit.

In 2020 the Asian lions will be moved to a new enclosure on undeveloped land north of the canal. The lions do not like building sites and the rehoming of them will allow the redvelopment of the maintenance yard as a retail and food area. This will possibly the first time that this section of the zoo has been open to the public since the 1940s. Red-vented cockatoos and Philippine spotted deer move to Islands.

2023 first phase of grasslands opens with giraffes, zebras, vultures and tortoises.

the giraffe, cattle and tropical houses will be demolishedand, work will begin on new accommodation for pygmy hippopotamus and western lowland gorilla, expected to arrive in 2024.
2026 New chimpanzee house, enclosure to remain where it is

2030 Elephant paddock built north of the house, on park of the land currently used as part of the car park.

The monorail is going in 2020. It is unreliable and costly to maintai. Furthurmore giraffes need to move to west zoo and they cannot pass under the track.

 

[Ashley]

Thanks, Indlovu. I absolutely can see that the house could do with some attention and it's good to hear that they've plans to replace it.

 

[Jennings]

Shame about the tropical house. I know it's elderly and the light levels are arguably too low, but it is a magical place and I have been fond of it since I first visited in 1985.

 

[gentle lemur]

I ought to mention that the Heart of Africa project which was announced in 2010 included new exhibits for chimps (and gorillas too). If that had not been stymied by the subsequent financial crisis, it ought to have been open by 2017 or so. Islands was the lower cost alternative project which replaced it.
I agree that the current indoor chimp accommodation is not very attractive or impressive, but it is going to remain in use for the foreseeable future. It is probably too early to try to look ahead, but the Tropical House cannot last forever and the completion of the off-show area (across the road from RotRA and Cedar House) means that the old chimp indoor accommodation will be empty again. The most economical solution might be to redevelop that area, still retaining the outdoor chimp area.

 

[Ed123]

I ought to mention that the Heart of Africa project which was announced in 2010 included new exhibits for chimps (and gorillas too). If that had not been stymied by the subsequent financial crisis, it ought to have been open by 2017 or so. Islands was the lower cost alternative project which replaced it.
I agree that the current indoor chimp accommodation is not very attractive or impressive, but it is going to remain in use for the foreseeable future. It is probably too early to try to look ahead, but the Tropical House cannot last forever and the completion of the off-show area (across the road from RotRA and Cedar House) means that the old chimp indoor accommodation will be empty again. The most economical solution might be to redevelop that area, still retaining the outdoor chimp area.

Who knows when the long term redevelopment of the Zoo will resume. I expect once the giraffes move to Grasslands (hopefully within the next 3 or 4 years) then there will have to be a fairly swift redevelopment of their paddock. I expect this will happen in phases due to cost and logistics of moving animals. I wonder if the plan would be to first redevelop the old giraffe paddock for the chimpanzees (and some other species) in phase 1 of smaller version of ‘Heart of Africa’. Once this area is finished then expect phase 2 will involve demolishing the Tropical Realm and current chimp area and creating gorilla / colobus / pigmy hippo areas and extending the HOA zone further.

 

[jde7582]

If the zoo ditched the non animal part of the plans, they could create the large exhibit for the giraffes, with less of a delay, go back to building one off exhibits, rather than whole zones in one go

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

If the zoo ditched the non animal part of the plans, they could create the large exhibit for the giraffes, with less of a delay, go back to building one off exhibits, rather than whole zones in one go

I guess this sounds more realistic in the mid term.