Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2009 #2

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roz
  • Start date Start date
Kifaru Bwana said:
Take all the inside info from Colchester re giraffe moves with more than a pinch of salt. Just look up the latest recoms in the latest studbook.

Hybrid collections will only maintain non breeding groups to enable in future to more quickly end up with pure-bred only giraffe to expand the various ssp. giraffe programmes.

Chester is to receive a fully pure-bred group and the hybrid females are going to a hybrid female collection.

Colchester keeping male reticulated meaning it will go to Whipsnade for breeding. Must check whether male is related to stock at Whipsnade (I think so, but not sure ...).

All the rest .... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Thank you for that Kifaru Bwana you have just saved me from posting the Giraffe info and i agree with your conclusion that Colchester will hold an all male group of Retics.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Thank you for that Kifaru Bwana you have just saved me from posting the Giraffe info and i agree with your conclusion that Colchester will hold an all male group of Retics.
Click to expand...

There are the two young males at Whipsnade but otherwise to do so they would have to add any others from Europe.
 
So does this mean that either the Chester or Irish moves aren't happening? Or will Colchester house 1:2 Rothschild and 0:1 hybrid? :confused:
 
Stripes said:
So does this mean that either the Chester or Irish moves aren't happening? Or will Colchester house 1:2 Rothschild and 0:1 hybrid? :confused:
Click to expand...

There will be giraffes leaving chester but they are not going to Colchester (things have changed if they are)
 
Colchester usually tend to move animals out a couple of days before or on the same day as new ones arrive! Is there a date for them moving? Would like to see them before they go
 
My goodness a lots gone on during my little break.

I had a short visit today.

Rajang was looking at the people inside Tiga paced around outside. I also saw him come inside. I ate lunch there Rajang continued watching the public but he moved around a bit. He then went into one of the sleeping quarters and climbed up a bit at a blue barrell. But he instead untied it moved it to the main indoor area and ate a banna and an egg delicately and ignored the spring onions and runner beans.

I saw the penuins, small mamals, amur leapard who moved quikly and dthe baby anteater.

We finished with the Chimps and Tumba moved inside and swung a lot in their.
 
I don't know if this will clarify anything or muddy the waters further, but here goes:

On my recent visits (yesterday and a couple of days before that) the Giraffe feeding talk gave the following information:

"The females arrived from France" (though I saw a Dvur Kralov Giraffe trailer in the car park on their day of arrival, maybe they meant the ferry from France, rather than a zoo in France?).

"When the females are of breeding age, current males will be shipped out and new ones brought in".
 
Shorts said:
I don't know if this will clarify anything or muddy the waters further, but here goes:

On my recent visits (yesterday and a couple of days before that) the Giraffe feeding talk gave the following information:

"The females arrived from France" (though I saw a Dvur Kralov Giraffe trailer in the car park on their day of arrival, maybe they meant the ferry from France, rather than a zoo in France?).

"When the females are of breeding age, current males will be shipped out and new ones brought in".
Click to expand...

Does that include the Rothschild male Centuary?
 
I interpreted it as such, but may have been mistaken, sorry -I was distracted feeding the Giraffes at the time:p
 
Shorts said:
I don't know if this will clarify anything or muddy the waters further, but here goes:

On my recent visits (yesterday and a couple of days before that) the Giraffe feeding talk gave the following information:

"The females arrived from France" (though I saw a Dvur Kralov Giraffe trailer in the car park on their day of arrival, maybe they meant the ferry from France, rather than a zoo in France?).

"When the females are of breeding age, current males will be shipped out and new ones brought in".
Click to expand...
The trailer is owned by Dvur but is used by most other zoo`s to transport Giraffe`s when required to move them.If this trailer has been used it looks like the move has been approved by the Studbook.
 
More new arrivals, from Colchester's website:

Colchester Zoo’s Mandrill troup has increased with the birth of two Mandrill babies and a third is currently on the way!

The first baby was born to mother Solomina and father Dume on the 11th October, with the second born to mother Millie and father Dume on the 17th October at their enclosure in Edge of Africa. We are yet to find out the sex or Keeper’s choice of names for the new arrivals. Mandrills are part of an EEP breeding programme and are one of the threatened endangered primate species in the world, so we are very pleased that our numbers are successfully increasing and now number 24 in total!

The Mandrill is the largest species of primate, living in groups that number from 15 to 200 members. Mandrill groups are led by dominant males which are very colourful, with a red muzzle and ridged, blue swellings on either side, with the same colours shown on their rumps. There are several females and their offspring within the group and younger juvenile males will be tolerated. The dominant male is easily recognisable as he has the brightest colouring due and the most testosterone. He is usually the one to father the offspring of the group.

Mandrills are one of the more endangered primates in the world. Their numbers are reducing in the wild because of increasing habitat loss and hunting for the bushmeat trade. This is where Mandrills are hunted in the forests and their meat is sold in markets in the larger towns and cities. Bushmeat is an increasing problem for Africa's primates and other wildlife. Other primates affected by this are Gorillas and Chimpanzees.

The babies can currently be seen clinging to their mother’s bellies in their enclosure down at Edge of Africa!
Click to expand...
 
Good news, but someone really needs to buy Colchester a decent zoological reference work.

The Mandrill is the largest species of primate
Click to expand...

Gorillas, humans, orangs and chimps might have something to say about that!


(I know it's just a typo for 'largest species of monkey', but really, it's such a simple thing to get right!)
 
Six-foot anaconda goes missing (from ipswich star)

STAFF at Colchester Zoo mounted a major search of the tourist park after an anaconda escaped from its display enclosure.

The six-foot snake has been missing from its exhibit - which it shared with a larger anaconda - for the last six weeks.

But after an initial security alert it was soon established that the reptile had slithered through a gap in some of the artificial rockwork in its display and was sleeping in a warm void underneath.

Yesterday zoo director Anthony Tropeano explained that the young anaconda had eaten shortly before it vanished about six weeks ago.

“It is a fairly small snake, with a girth probably the same size as the average human forearm,” Mr Tropeano said.

“It found a gap in the artificial rockwork and it is now sitting underneath the exhibit, where it is dark and warm.

“There is no other way out of the void it is in, which is basically just an area underneath a false floor.

“At the moment we are quite happy to wait for it to rear its ugly head sometime in the coming weeks, when it gets hungry.

“I have not yet reached the point where I am going to start breaking through the rockwork to try and get it.”

Mr Tropeano admitted there had been “some concern” when its disappearance was initially noticed by a keeper.

Employees quickly mounted a search of the park looking for tell-tale signs such as slither marks and shed skin.

But soon it was soon established that there was no way it could have got outside of the enclosure and when the gap in the rockwork was found the secret of its vanishing act became obvious.

“At first we couldn't work out where it had disappeared to,” Mr Tropeano said.

“To be quite honest, we were more worried about the welfare of the snake than any threat to the public - it is young and only eats small things, like mice.

“I suppose you could say it is missing, but it is not lost.

“Having spoken to staff about the security procedures that have been followed, I am now 100% confident that is where it is and that it will soon be back up using the same gap that it left through.”

Mr Tropeano emphasised that the zoo had an exemplary security and safety record and at no point had there been any danger to any visitors.
 
Aww glad its not really out with all this cold and wet weather we are having!!
Now if it was a spider and there was the slighest chance it had got out of its enclosure I would never go there again lol
 
karenZOO said:
Aww glad its not really out with all this cold and wet weather we are having!!
Now if it was a spider and there was the slighest chance it had got out of its enclosure I would never go there again lol
Click to expand...

Lol it wouldn't bother me (snakes and spiders are some of my faves :D!)
I reckon it is a yellow anaconda that got out, the green anaconda/s are far longer than 6 feet! :cool:
 
I don't mind snakes (we got to play with one on the orang utan evening lol ) but spiders and insects *shudder*
 
karenZOO said:
I don't mind snakes (we got to play with one on the orang utan evening lol ) but spiders and insects *shudder*
Click to expand...

Cool, what type did you get to hold Karen? :confused:

ZooLeopard: thought it was I think they have one larger one, and a few younger ones. I only thought the large one was on display but obviously the younger one had been on my last few visits (although hiding in the crevice! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top