Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2024

Nice to see Lena at Dartmoor. Haven’t seen her in a long while. However, as I went down to see Crispin today, the Amur Leopards were shut off immediately at opening. Asked a keeper who was around and they are mixing Crispin and Esra today. Everything is still shut off but hoping it goes safely and maybe a successful breeding again from the pair.
 
Went for a brief visit to Colchester this morning. These are some things that I noticed (some of which I noticed on my last visit last Sunday, but forgot to report here):
  • The capuchin monkey enclosure by the entrance is now completely off-show, with the development work now beginning in earnest. The doors have been removed from the indoor area, allowing a view inside that hasn't been possible since the orangutans moved out.
  • The tinfoil barbs are now back on-display in the turtle pool in Rajang's Forest.
  • The Barbary macaque enclosure has been divided in half - the right-hand side (with the attached shelter) is home to the buffy-headed capuchins from the entrance enclosure, while the left-hand enclosure is home to the Barbary macaques. I only noticed a couple of macaques in there, and also recently noticed the species has been removed from the zoo's map - not sure what's going on there?
  • The leopard enclosure was still off-show, presumably because of the mating attempts. From a series of pictures on a Colchester Zoo fan page on Facebook, it looks like the pair have successfully mated at least once.
 
I went for another morning visit to Colchester Zoo today. There are a few things that I noticed:
  • The land clearance for the redevelopment of the capuchin monkey enclosure has continued. It now looks as if the former Parrot Rock display has also been removed - the footprint of the entire space is much larger than I originally anticipated.
  • The redevelopment in the Worlds Apart display is also continuing. The new indoor enclosure attached to the titi and tamandua enclosure has had its doors fitted, and all that seems to remain is adding the front glass windows and furnishing the enclosure.
  • It looks as if a fifth crowned crane, presumably the latest chick from the breeding pair mixed with the dik-diks, is being integrated into the Kingdom of the Wild paddock.
  • The outdoor enclosure for the slender-snouted crocodile is fenced off, with a sign saying that the crocodile is showing signs of nesting behaviour. There is indeed a huge mound of vegetation in the enclosure, that the female crocodile was laying on. Of course, there is only one female crocodile at the zoo and her only former companion was also female, so I'm not sure it will come to anything.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
I went for another morning visit to Colchester Zoo today. There are a few things that I noticed:
  • The land clearance for the redevelopment of the capuchin monkey enclosure has continued. It now looks as if the former Parrot Rock display has also been removed - the footprint of the entire space is much larger than I originally anticipated.
  • The redevelopment in the Worlds Apart display is also continuing. The new indoor enclosure attached to the titi and tamandua enclosure has had its doors fitted, and all that seems to remain is adding the front glass windows and furnishing the enclosure.
  • It looks as if a fifth crowned crane, presumably the latest chick from the breeding pair mixed with the dik-diks, is being integrated into the Kingdom of the Wild paddock.
  • The outdoor enclosure for the slender-snouted crocodile is fenced off, with a sign saying that the crocodile is showing signs of nesting behaviour. There is indeed a huge mound of vegetation in the enclosure, that the female crocodile was laying on. Of course, there is only one female crocodile at the zoo and her only former companion was also female, so I'm not sure it will come to anything.
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Would be nice if they could source an unrelated slender-snouted crocodile from within the European breeding program.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
As I understand it, the entire European population is closely related; in fact, last I heard, the majority descend from a single pair at the old Emmen.
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Yes, I am aware of that ... that is exactly why I was asking if a new individual for pairing be sourced (and not from the Emmen bred lots).
 
Went for a morning visit to Colchester today. These are the things that I noticed:
  • The capuchin development has progressed even further. The visitor viewing are has now been demolished, and all that seems to be left at the moment of the two outdoor cages are their mesh roofs and the support structures.
  • The new indoor enclosure in Worlds Apart, next to the tamandua and titi monkey enclosure, has also progressed. The inside now seems to be furnished, ropes have been linked to the small animal doorway, the glass windows have been added and a frame for the signs has also been put up. It seems that all that now remains is to put up the signage and move the animals in.
  • The former bony-headed toad tank in Rajang's Forest has its internal lights now turned on. Hoping that this might perhaps mean something else is planned to move in - cannot think why they would have been turned back on again otherwise.
  • It seems like the Victoria crowned pigeon is sitting on another nest.
  • There were two female ostriches shut into the inside area, in addition to the male who was in the outdoor paddock today. So there is definitely at least one new individual, depending on whether the former female has left and been replaced with two new animals or whether she was simply joined by a second female.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
  • The new indoor enclosure in Worlds Apart, next to the tamandua and titi monkey enclosure, has also progressed. The inside now seems to be furnished, ropes have been linked to the small animal doorway, the glass windows have been added and a frame for the signs has also been put up. It seems that all that now remains is to put up the signage and move the animals in.
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What is going in here?
 
Would also like to add that Abasi and Azizi the cheetahs have been swapped around. Azizi is now up by the Komodo Dragons and Abasi with Anika. Only happened in the last week or so. Abasi and Anika were outside together and laying a few metres apart. Apparently she has mated with both males but I don’t know 100%.
 
Sheepy12 said:
Would also like to add that Abasi and Azizi the cheetahs have been swapped around. Azizi is now up by the Komodo Dragons and Abasi with Anika. Only happened in the last week or so. Abasi and Anika were outside together and laying a few metres apart. Apparently she has mated with both males but I don’t know 100%.
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That is something I saw yesterday that I forgot to report - the pair of cheetahs were out together in Edge of Africa. What I assume was the female was up against the fence and making a lot of noise at what I guess was the male, who eventually moved away. There was also a keeper there watching the proceedings.
 
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