It certainly is as far as I'm concerned...I thought it was against the law for zoo chatters to visit on bank holidays!!
Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2010 #2
- Thread starter Goretex
- Start date
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
Update on the Lions:
Our new African Lions have recently been allowed access to their outside enclosure, and have been out enjoying the sunshine!
The lions have settled into their new home well, and all viewing areas are now accessible to see Bailey, Malika and Naja enjoying their new environment.
There is not yet a public Lion Encounter display whilst the lions are still acclimatising and settling in, but this will be re-instated once the lions are fully confident in the enclosure.
Our new African Lions have recently been allowed access to their outside enclosure, and have been out enjoying the sunshine!
The lions have settled into their new home well, and all viewing areas are now accessible to see Bailey, Malika and Naja enjoying their new environment.
There is not yet a public Lion Encounter display whilst the lions are still acclimatising and settling in, but this will be re-instated once the lions are fully confident in the enclosure.
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karenZOO
Well-Known Member
Today We experienced 2 words that put more fear into any zoo chatter than bank holiday!! ...... school parties!!! .... they were everywhere, even 2 buses from my village school! Still was very quiet in places 
Fantastic day tho, the tiger keeper shadowing was great my partner really enjoyed himself, did a lot of target training and feeding of Annouska and got Igor to stand up on his hind legs and fed him No date for Annouska leaving yet and no idea where she is going yet! Annouska did get a telling off from Igor for having all the meat during the training as Igor was to lazy to join in till the end.
Saw 2 of the lions, Bailey and one of the females, who was being sick as we watched them
Will put up a pic of Bailey, what a good looking lad he is!
Rajang and Tiga were the highlight of my visit they were playing the whole time we watched them Rajang was leading Tiga around the enclosure with Tiga's hand in his mouth, then eating his feet while Tiga kept doing head over heels all around the enclosure in between hiding under a sack for Rajang to 'find him' Amazing to watch Rajang acting like a youngster taking no notice of the crowds watching them!
The wolves enclosure is getting a big make over, one of the wolves popped out apparently to freak out the workmen although a member of staff is in there with them!
Brilliant day even with the annoying school teachers/helpers who did nothing to correct their children when misnaming most of the animals
Sorry Pertinax no reports of any Rat activity !
Fantastic day tho, the tiger keeper shadowing was great my partner really enjoyed himself, did a lot of target training and feeding of Annouska and got Igor to stand up on his hind legs and fed him
No date for Annouska leaving yet and no idea where she is going yet! Annouska did get a telling off from Igor for having all the meat during the training as Igor was to lazy to join in till the end.Saw 2 of the lions, Bailey and one of the females, who was being sick as we watched them
Will put up a pic of Bailey, what a good looking lad he is!Rajang and Tiga were the highlight of my visit they were playing the whole time we watched them
Rajang was leading Tiga around the enclosure with Tiga's hand in his mouth, then eating his feet while Tiga kept doing head over heels all around the enclosure in between hiding under a sack for Rajang to 'find him' Amazing to watch Rajang acting like a youngster taking no notice of the crowds watching them!The wolves enclosure is getting a big make over, one of the wolves popped out apparently to freak out the workmen although a member of staff is in there with them!
Brilliant day even with the annoying school teachers/helpers who did nothing to correct their children when misnaming most of the animals
Sorry Pertinax no reports of any Rat activity
!
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Today We experienced 2 words that put more fear into any zoo chatter than bank holiday!! ...... school parties!!! .... they were everywhere, even 2 buses from my village school! Still was very quiet in places :rolleye
Rajang and Tiga were the highlight of my visit they were playing the whole time we watched them
Brilliant day even with the annoying school teachers/helpers who did nothing to correct their children when misnaming most of the animals
You were lucky that the teachers were actually supervising the children! In my experience, they spend the morning drinking coffee in the restaurant while the children run riot in the zoo. Education?? It's worrying that so many people care so little for animals that they're not interested in finding out what they're looking at.
It's great that Rajang and Tiga are enjoying each other's company so much.
Brilliant day even with the annoying school teachers/helpers who did nothing to correct their children when misnaming most of the animals
Sorry Pertinax no reports of any Rat activity
The behaviour of School groups in Zoos is often(usually)shocking. I am amazed Zoos still accept these visits really but it must be a big financial benefit during weekdays when the Zoo is otherwise usually pretty quiet. Many years ago I took my (then young) family to Chester on a day it was overrun with Secondary school children showing appalling out of control behaviour. We never saw any sign of any 'teachers'/supervisors. My children were quite intimidated. I did complain but of course there was nothing done and I expect its just the same nowadays.
Not even Roland?
Gigit
Well-Known Member
To be uncharacteristically cynical (
), "education" can be the route to a zoo getting charitable status. For the benefit of other paying customers who don't expect to spend their visit in the equivalent of a school playground, zoos should insist on all school groups, whatever their age, being supervised.
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
During the evening of Wednesday 5th May a new male Komodo dragon joined the collection at Colchester Zoo from Zoo Praha in Prague.
The new male is three years old, and was born and bred in Zoo Praha in Prague. He has joined the collection in order to take part in the EEP breeding programme for this species.
The new male is housed at the Dragons of Komodo exhibit and can currently be seen on-show within the section of the enclosure next to the Action for the Wild house. He will be housed in this area of the enclosure whilst he settles in and acclimatises to his new surroundings, and will be transferred into a larger area within the coming weeks.
The Komodo Dragon is classified as vulnerable on the ICUN Red List and listed on Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.) Their number has declined in the wild due to the threat of widespread habitat loss, a loss of prey species and hunting.
With the new arrival of our male Komodo dragon, we are very pleased that we will be able to take part within the EEP breeding programme and help the conservation and continued existence of this wonderful species.
The new male is three years old, and was born and bred in Zoo Praha in Prague. He has joined the collection in order to take part in the EEP breeding programme for this species.
The new male is housed at the Dragons of Komodo exhibit and can currently be seen on-show within the section of the enclosure next to the Action for the Wild house. He will be housed in this area of the enclosure whilst he settles in and acclimatises to his new surroundings, and will be transferred into a larger area within the coming weeks.
The Komodo Dragon is classified as vulnerable on the ICUN Red List and listed on Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.) Their number has declined in the wild due to the threat of widespread habitat loss, a loss of prey species and hunting.
With the new arrival of our male Komodo dragon, we are very pleased that we will be able to take part within the EEP breeding programme and help the conservation and continued existence of this wonderful species.
Went to the zoo today, a few updates:
- A new red panda arrived this morning and was on display. He/she is one year old. I don't know any more details as I overheard this information from the passing train whilst I was standing on lemur bridge, lol.
- In the Familiar Friends area the southdown sheep enclousure has been knocked down and building work is taking place, no signs saying whats happening. I saw one southdown sheep in the main Familiar Friends building.
- The male lion and one female lion were outside, whilst the other female was inside.
Does anyone know what the if there is a small enclosure inside Ussuri Fall? It looks as if its a separate enclousure not designed/too small for leopards?
Rat News - Saw 2 in the capuchin enclosure, lol.
- A new red panda arrived this morning and was on display. He/she is one year old. I don't know any more details as I overheard this information from the passing train whilst I was standing on lemur bridge, lol.
- In the Familiar Friends area the southdown sheep enclousure has been knocked down and building work is taking place, no signs saying whats happening. I saw one southdown sheep in the main Familiar Friends building.
- The male lion and one female lion were outside, whilst the other female was inside.
Does anyone know what the if there is a small enclosure inside Ussuri Fall? It looks as if its a separate enclousure not designed/too small for leopards?
Rat News - Saw 2 in the capuchin enclosure, lol.
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
Could you be more specific? I think the enclosure your refering too is the Tamarin/Marmoset one.
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
Came from Poland I think.
Little Lion Man
Well-Known Member
I also went on Friday.
1. In the late afternoon all 3 lions where out together outside.
2. Did anyone see both the tigers today? I only say one today calling and pacing all the time at pace. When I left Colchester there was also a animal transport lorry in the car park which was big enough to move anything in the zoo apart from the Elephants.
1. In the late afternoon all 3 lions where out together outside.
2. Did anyone see both the tigers today? I only say one today calling and pacing all the time at pace. When I left Colchester there was also a animal transport lorry in the car park which was big enough to move anything in the zoo apart from the Elephants.
Little Lion Man
Well-Known Member
Possibly. Not 100% sure but only one tiger was visible and you can see in the night quarters and no other tigers where present and we visited twice and spent time there. The other tiger was acting in a unusual manor to say the least.
Little Lion Man
Well-Known Member
Anoushka cannot be a member of the breeding program so needed to be moved so Igor can mate.
I am going to be very unpopular saying this but it is a shame the same cannot be done for another hybrid species. Another clue he is also a orange colour.
I am going to be very unpopular saying this but it is a shame the same cannot be done for another hybrid species. Another clue he is also a orange colour.
I understand that Igor is important to the breeding programme, but what I am a bit concerned about is that the two tigers get along well and don't seem to like being seperated, which could cause pining (I think it did when they were seperated when they bred Anoushka).
Having seen the effect pining can have on animals, I just wonder whether it's better if the tigers are left together and something else tried, like AI or waiting for Sasha to pass on and then bring a new female for Igor.
Doubtless tho this has been considered by the keeps and they've decided nothing detrimental will come of parting Igor and Anoushka. I'm hardly an expert whereas they are.
As for Rajang, with his age, it's too dangerous to move him, plus few zoos are going to want to sacrifice space for a (elderly) hybrid male. He's too popular an animal too, so he best left where he is until he passes on, which will be a sad day. Colchester is planning to bring to bring in a female or too after he goes, AFAIK. So have patience
Having seen the effect pining can have on animals, I just wonder whether it's better if the tigers are left together and something else tried, like AI or waiting for Sasha to pass on and then bring a new female for Igor.
Doubtless tho this has been considered by the keeps and they've decided nothing detrimental will come of parting Igor and Anoushka. I'm hardly an expert whereas they are.
As for Rajang, with his age, it's too dangerous to move him, plus few zoos are going to want to sacrifice space for a (elderly) hybrid male. He's too popular an animal too, so he best left where he is until he passes on, which will be a sad day. Colchester is planning to bring to bring in a female or too after he goes, AFAIK. So have patience
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
Anoushka wont be leaving anytime yet. Another zoo has showed interest in holding hybrids/non-breeding animals though.
karenZOO
Well-Known Member
Its a shame Colchester have cancelled some of their evening events, I was going to book for the murder mystery night, looked like fun!! I know there has been several moans on their facebook page about the cost but the orang utan evening was worth every penny (£50 a ticket), the food and drink (hic) I had was well worth that alone
From their newsletter/email
(Please note that the Murder Mystery Evening on the 17th July, Beach Party on the 31st July and Primate Evening on the 14th August have unfortunately been cancelled. We will contact those that have made bookings on these events within the next few days.)
From their newsletter/email
(Please note that the Murder Mystery Evening on the 17th July, Beach Party on the 31st July and Primate Evening on the 14th August have unfortunately been cancelled. We will contact those that have made bookings on these events within the next few days.)
ZooLeopard
Well-Known Member
Luckily they havent cancelled both primate evenings.