Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2014

Colvhester Zoo...

Looks a bit like the one that closed down @ Edinburgh....
 
Does anyone know if any other species will be included in this new area? Also what is happening to the area that used to be the "panning for gold" thing as noticed it wasn't there last time I visited??
 
A small bit of news from my visit this afternoon is that the Yellow Anaconda group has left the collection, their enclosure in Worlds Apart is being redeveloped to house the young Komodo Dragons.
 
Snippets of news from the zoo's website/Facebook page;

-Four new wallabies arrived at Colchester Zoo in May 2014 from Woburn Safari Park to join our current group of Bennett's wallabies, bringing their total up to 13. The 4 new arrivals are all male as are our existing residents at 'Wallaby Walkabout'!

-The large flock of almost 40 Chilean flamingos are a beautiful sight to be seen on our Lakelands and have been seen nest building!

-Not only is the building for our new walkthrough aviary coming along great but so is the training of our Rainbow lorikeets! Keepers have reported that the lorikeets are doing really well, coming down and feeding from pots of nectar in preparation for the opening of Australian Rainbows for summer 2014!
 
Also from the zoo's facebook page the zoo is currently revamping an off show area to become an animal interaction centre for our visitors! This will be open on a daily basis and also become a classroom facility for school workshops.Colchester Zoo believes it is important for visitors to be able to interact and get up close to different species, learn more about them and connect with nature. The new area will allow you to engage with your senses as it will enable you to SEE how exotic bugs, snakes and other reptiles are adapted to their environment, as well as rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals. You will be able to use your super senses to TOUCH, SMELL, LISTEN and ultimately discover the differences between the animals that you meet here. The new development is due to open in July 2014!

They are running a "help us name" their new development!
 
Visited today for a few hours:-

1. hyena male cub has been born.

2. The male aardvark has had a operation so is on his own while the females are being kept in the birthing den.

3. The new young Greater kudu is still being kept inside after medical treatment

4. The male giraffe is still being kept separate from the two females.

5. There are now only 4 zebra 1.3 when there is a photo on the zoos Facebook page of 1.4 but the zoo are only now saying its only ever been 1.3 ???

6. no news on the cheetah birth the sign has been removed from the enclosure. ( just jack outside on his own walking around a lot)

7. The male zebra keeps trying to suckle from one of the females

8. All the mollys in the ant tank are pregnant looking very fat indeed.
 
What is the point of maintaining the male giraffe separate from the females?

Removing a information label over a birth … is usually not a very good sign …. If this is the case here, I do not know.
 
Pertinax said:
The females were still small/ young when they arrived. Possibly they still don't think they are mature enough to breed yet?
Click to expand...

They are both nearing six now. Perfect age to each be having their first calves (both born Summer 2008)
 
Quite; especially considering the...unusual.....female anatomy of this species!
 
I was a bit speculative about the true sex of the previous two 'male' cubs as well. I wonder if they both really are...;)
 
Some notes from today's visit:

- All three giraffes were together today, although one of the females was being repeatedly 'necked' by the male on her back and legs whenever I saw them
- There were only three greater kudu instead of four
- Two of the white rhino were also being kept together on the hardstand; the animals in the main paddock were all the ostriches, crowned cranes and maneless zebra, three kudu and three rhinos
- There is a new leaf-cutting ant colony
- As well as several black mollies, there are at least 15 new freshwater butterflyfish living in the water surrounding the ant colony
- The lion house and area outside the new lorikeet walk-through (still under construction) was closed
- The old housing for the animals that were used in the show is being turned into the new 'encounters area' as advertised on the zoo website
- The tamandua has moved itself back into the indoor area where the red titi monkeys live
- The capuchin monkey and Geoffroy's cat enclosures have both been boarded up now
- Saw the bearded saki pair mating again
- The spotted deer and warty pigs were separated again, the main enclosure has been resurfaced with woodchips and the male deer has been fitted with a bridle (not sure why)
- The llamas, alpacas and single Darwin's rhea have been joined by a new pair of Somali fat-tailed sheep
- A fifth tortoise has been added to the Aldabran giant/Burmese mountain tortoise exhibit- it is either a third Burmese or a young Aldabran giant
- A fledgling Victoria crowned pigeon has been moved into the old rufous hornbill aviary
- Finally saw the sun bears out in their new enclosure- although it looks good for the animals viewing them does seem to be much more difficult now
- The spotted hyaena cub remained underground today
- Buffy-headed capuchin monkeys have moved into the old sun bear enclosure
 
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