Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2013

Great news, these two are prolific :) top stuff to go with the pandas and the surplus of otters, glad the cub survived this time
 
Somehow I am rather sceptical about this information, considering the fact a week-old cub will have only *just* opened its eyes.

If accurate, the cub will be rather more than a week old.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Somehow I am rather sceptical about this information, considering the fact a week-old cub will have only *just* opened its eyes.

If accurate, the cub will be rather more than a week old.
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I don't know how old it is, but the keeper giving the talk said "if you'd been here a week and a half ago there would only have been 3 animals in the enclosure" - clearly that could mean that mum and cub were in another enclosure until then. I'll post a photo in the gallery once I've done a quick edit.
 
Photo is up - I've done some checking and, according to Prof. David Macdonald, Spotted Hyena cubs are unique among carnivorous mammals in being born with their eyes open; they also have 6mm canine teeth, which must be fun for the mother!
 
Looking at the photo and going by photos I have seen of spotted hyena cubs before, I would estimate it is at least a month old; my guess is that they either didn't realise a cub had been born and so guessed the age wrong, or meant that if you had been there a week ago you would only have *seen* three animals, as the fourth (the cub) would have still been hidden.
 
The cub was born on 10th September. It can be seen above ground so early on because the mother gave birth in the fake-rock cave at the front of the enclosure rather than in the burrow underneath it where the last cub was born.
 
Went for a reasonably long visit to Colchester today- here are my observations:

- Golden mantella enclosure is now emptied again and awaiting renovation
- Saw the preview for the sun bear and rufous hornbill enclosures- the bear enclosure has certainly come on a bit since I last went with the lower viewing area now being constructed
- Saw the entire spotted hyaena family including the newest cub
- The most recent crowned pigeon chicks is in one of the old lemur enclosures behind the Amur leopards (just along from Chimp World)
- In the same block of enclosures as the crowned pigeon there was a new pair of female cherry-crowned mangabeys that have been brought in and are due to be mixed in with the rest of the troop
- Although I didn't see it, there was signage for a Tanzanian tailless whip-scorpion mixed in with the sun beetles at the Discovery Centre
- The marine aquarium at Kingdom of the Wild now has two lionfish and something else hidden among the rocks (either moray eel or pufferfish) as well as the African moony fish
- A young ocellate river stingray has been mixed in with the angelfish at Heart of the Amazon
- The sugar gliders have arrived in their enclosure (apparently their quarantine in the exhibit started on the 3rd September) but I didn't see them
- The baby gibbon seems to be progressing well- it is no longer confined to its cage, was moving around by itself and no longer wears a nappy
- According to a nearby sign, the baby Komodo dragon will be moving on-show in Worlds Apart, in the small enclosure next to the red titi monkey/sloth exhibit
 
DesertRhino150 said:
According to a nearby sign, the baby Komodo dragon will be moving on-show in Worlds Apart, in the small enclosure next to the red titi monkey/sloth exhibit
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I was pretty sure that I saw it earlier this summer in the Incubation/Hatchlings room in Worlds Apart. Either that or it was a huge Nile Monitor hatchling! :p
Will be great to see it, both as it's great for the zoo and it's my favourite species. :D
Can't wait to visit in half term!
 
DesertRhino150 said:
- In the same block of enclosures as the crowned pigeon there was a new pair of female cherry-crowned mangabeys that have been brought in and are due to be mixed in with the rest of the troop
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Excellent news. They must have come from one of the European groups. Bringing in additional females indicates an intention to build up the group-size further, perhaps like the Mandrills. How good would that be...:)
 
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Some snippets from the zoo's website;

-The Red Panda cubs have been sexed as both female and keepers have given them their names! The smaller one of the two is called Mei Xlang (prounanced May Sh-ang) which means beautiful in Chinese and the other named, Piqi (prounanced peachy) meaning temper in Chinese. You can recognise Piqi as she has a whiter face and is currently bigger than Mei Xlang.
-On the 10th September 2013 Spotted hyena, Kalabi and Abu became proud parents for a second time at Colchester Zoo. In 2011 Colchester Zoo became the only zoo in the UK to house this species and now is very pleased that their pair of spotted hyena are successfully breeding

& also from a recent visit;

-The Red backed bearded saki monkey's have also had a baby! :D The enclosure was closed to give mother and baby time to bond
-Goeldi’s monkeys have had another birth
-Sun Bear enclosure was coming along nicely with the bulk of the work being done at the bottom of the enclosure, the "Clock of the Mountain" enclosure was looking complete
-Still no success from the Amur Leopards, they are still attempting to mix them
 
Badgerman91 said:
Some snippets from the zoo's website;

-The Red Panda cubs have been sexed as both female and keepers have given them their names! The smaller one of the two is called Mei Xlang (prounanced May Sh-ang) which means beautiful in Chinese and the other named, Piqi (prounanced peachy) meaning temper in Chinese. You can recognise Piqi as she has a whiter face and is currently bigger than Mei Xlang.
-On the 10th September 2013 Spotted hyena, Kalabi and Abu became proud parents for a second time at Colchester Zoo. In 2011 Colchester Zoo became the only zoo in the UK to house this species and now is very pleased that their pair of spotted hyena are successfully breeding

& also from a recent visit;

-The Red backed bearded saki monkey's have also had a baby! :D The enclosure was closed to give mother and baby time to bond
Click to expand...

Great news. Seems after Belfast's break through, that they are now breeding more at Colchester! :D
 
sayan the male leopard will be leaving soon and they will get a new male in the hope for more success with breeding. the wild about animal theater will be refurbished into a lorikeet walk through. and the bears will move soon in their new house.
 
From the website;

-As "banham.tiger" mentioned the Wild about Animal Theatre will be closed from 4th November 2013 for redevelopment into a Aviary of Lorikeets, which will be a walk-through enclosure.
-The sun bears will be moving into their new enclosure at the end of December 2013, however the official opening will not be carried out until Easter 2014
-The Buffy headed Capuchins will move into the current sun bear enclosure in January 2014 & their current enclosure will made into off show accommodation.
-2014 will be the "Year of the Bear" at the zoo.
-The 9 month old Komodo Dragon, Curu, will be on show from Friday 18th October
- Also In August another Komodo Dragon successfully hatched however it will be kept off show for a few more months.

Shame that the current Buffy headed Capuchin enclosure will be an "Off show" enclosure.
 
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