Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2024

Colchester Zoo have recently put up the monthly reports for October 2024, as expected, but also for July 2024. I will put up information from both, as the July report has information not recorded before:

July 2024
  • The new male great grey owl arrived on 6th July from Noah's Ark Zoo Farm.
  • A new off-show reptile quarantine facility was opened, and allowed the import of several species new to the collection.
  • This was the month the black tree monitor arrived - also on the 6th July. What hasn't been reported is that there are actually two monitors, with one coming from Cotswold Wildlife Park and the other from Crocodiles of the World.
  • There are actually four green tree skinks (referred to as Philippine tree skinks in the report), with two remaining off-show and the other two on-display in Kingdom of the Wild. They also arrived on 6th July, from Chessington.
  • New species: On 10th July, a male giant Madagascar day gecko arrived from Chester Zoo.
  • On 23rd July, two female squirrel monkeys left Colchester for Exmoor Zoo, along with three male Kirk's dik-diks for Dartmoor Zoo.
  • Two new rainbow lorikeet chicks hatched this month, bringing the flock up to 41 individuals.
  • Also, in the information about the renovation of the lion-tailed macaque enclosure, it is confirmed that the zoo plans to build up the numbers of this species again.
The report can be seen here: https://www.colchesterzoologicalsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Annual-Report-2024_-July.pdf

October 2024
  • Nowhere near as many animal updates this time, but on 24th October a new female rhinoceros iguana named Carmen arrived from Shepreth Wildlife Park. While she settles into the enclosure in Worlds Apart the current male iguana, Rico, has moved off-show.
The report can be seen here: https://www.colchesterzoologicalsoc...loads/2024/12/Annual-Report-2024_-October.pdf
 
Went on a visit to Colchester Zoo today to renew my annual pass, and went for a full tour as well. These are the new things I noticed:
  • The development of the new capuchin enclosure has progressed a lot since my last visit. The entire outer frame of the new indoor area has been raised, and the outdoor climbing frames have largely all gone up now.
  • The golden-headed lion tamarins are now signed at the old Goeldi's monkey enclosure in Worlds Apart, and I saw one poking its head out of a nestbox in the indoor area. Unfortunately, the windows at the old rainforest walkthrough where the species has lived for a long time was fogged up, so I don't know if the animals there have moved across or if a new individual has arrived.
  • The black tree monitor has gone back on-show again in Heart of the Amazon.
  • A new golden lion tamarin has arrived, so there is now a pair again in the Canopy of South America enclosure.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Went on a visit to Colchester Zoo today to renew my annual pass, and went for a full tour as well. These are the new things I noticed:
  • The development of the new capuchin enclosure has progressed a lot since my last visit. The entire outer frame of the new indoor area has been raised, and the outdoor climbing frames have largely all gone up now.
  • The golden-headed lion tamarins are now signed at the old Goeldi's monkey enclosure in Worlds Apart, and I saw one poking its head out of a nestbox in the indoor area. Unfortunately, the windows at the old rainforest walkthrough where the species has lived for a long time was fogged up, so I don't know if the animals there have moved across or if a new individual has arrived.
  • The black tree monitor has gone back on-show again in Heart of the Amazon.
  • A new golden lion tamarin has arrived, so there is now a pair again in the Canopy of South America enclosure.
Click to expand...
Good news all round.
It is actually two new golden lion tamarins, with the previous female moving in exhange for a new one alongside a male arriving, so hopefully the zoo can build up a nice family group again.
 
One other thing I noticed that I forgot to note down - the leopard tortoise and weaverbird enclosure in Kingdom of the Wild was completely emptied of animals and furniture such as the dead trees, with a number of keepers present and working in there. The walkway between this enclosure and the mud turtle enclosure was closed off.

Hopefully the space is just being updated and both species can return - it would be a real shame to lose the weavers especially.
 
The zoo have now released their monthly report for November 2024 as well. Much of the information there has already been mentioned (birth of the leopard cubs and arrival of the new male anaconda), nonetheless, this is what is mentioned that is new:
  • On 4th November, five of the new male pygmy goats completed quarantine and were moved into the Colenso Village walkthrough enclosure.
  • On 7th November, male Kirk's dik-dik 'Squash' moved off-show from his enclosure between the giant anteaters and red pandas.
  • The two Goeldi's monkeys moved over to their new enclosure on the 26th November.
  • On 20th November, female squirrel monkey 'Sophie' was euthanised. She was an elderly animal at 25 years old, and a veterinary examination found that she had lost most of her teeth, a condition that was decided to be compromising her welfare.
The full report can be read here:
https://www.colchesterzoologicalsoc...loads/2024/12/Annual-Report-2024_November.pdf

Now that what is almost certainly the last monthly report of this year has been released, I will just say how much I appreciate the zoo for publishing them - it gives a much better insight into what is going on at the zoo. Really hoping they continue to publish these reports into the future.

The only other thing I would love to see happen at some point in the future is for the annual animal stocktake results to become public, like Chester and ZSL do. That would cap off a much improved website to what the zoo had before.
 
Piece of December 2024 News Worth Mentioning:

On December 1st, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) Guianan squirrel monkey to Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire.

3.1K views · 74 reactions | Keepers are thrilled to welcome a new arrival to Woburn Safari Park's Guianan squirrel monkey troop, a male named Murphy! Murphy has been settling... | By Woburn Safari Park | Facebook

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DesertRhino150 said:
First major update of 2024 is new information about the change to Colchester Zoological Society, due to be coming on 1st January 2025. While most of the changes that will be happening this year will be behind-the-scenes, the new logo for the zoo will be increasingly used in preparation and in spring 2024 the zoo will get a brand-new website.

This page here gives some information about the changes that will be taking place:
Introducing Colchester Zoological Society | Colchester Zoo
Click to expand...

On December 19th, the zoo announced that the charity (which was supposed to take control on January 1st) was pushed back from transitioning to an unknown date due to a delay with legal proceedings. The facility hopes the transition will still take place in early 2025.

Colchester Zoo
 
Colchester Zoo have announced that, on 6th December, a young Philippine spotted deer was born. It is the fifth offspring of mother Autumn and father Bongat (Bongat arrived in March 2019 from Liberic Zoo, while Autumn came from Edinburgh Zoo in May 2019).

It is not known what sex the calf is yet, but its name will begin with a G, as the family group is named alphabetically - as well as Autumn and Bongat, the calves were named Clive, Dot, Eugene and Flynn.

More information can be found in the link below:
Endangered Deer Calf Born - Colchester Zoological Society
 
Colchester Zoo have released their annual roundup of news from the year. I will also add additional news not mentioned in this roundup:

January
  • A Philippine spotted deer was born on January 2nd.
  • The zoo was shortlisted for a BIAZA Great British Wildlife Restoration Award.
  • The zoo also launched a brand-new STEM Design Challenge this month, in which over 10,000 schoolchildren participated.
  • Over 81,000 visitors came to the zoo in January alone.
- In this month, a new female coppery titi arrived at Colchester.
- Two rainbow lorikeet chicks hatched in January.
- The last of the shubunkin goldfish in Koi Niwa died on January 10th, while Bart the male African white-backed vulture died on January 12th.

February
  • The zoo announced the return of white-lipped tamarins to the collection.
  • The zoo was the winner of the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award at the East of England Tourism Awards.
  • A couple of events were run, one about the zoo's Komodo dragons and the other celebrating the zoo's staff.
- Around this time, several new species went on-display, including the giant Malaysian leaf insect, strawberry poison-dart frog and Sudan plated lizard.
- On 14th February, two gelada baboons were transferred from Colchester to Port Lympne.

March
  • A Ruppell's griffon vulture chick hatched on 2nd March.
  • Four warthog piglets were born on the night of the 5th and 6th March.
  • A new shoal of red-bellied piranhas arrived on 7th March.
  • On 22nd March, Otto the male white rhinoceros died while under anaesthesia.
  • The zoo opened its new Dinosaur Realm in March.
  • The zoo carried out its last release of Fisher's estuarine moth for the foreseeable future, as the programme has successfully re-established the species across several sites on the Essex coastline.
- A male Kirk's dik-dik was born on 21st March.
- The last Geoffroy's marmoset left the collection on 7th March. The zoo had previously said that the plan was for the species to return in the future.
- On 27th March, eight rainbow lorikeets and three Trinidad stream frogs were moved from Colchester to Northumberland College Zoo.
- The earthworks adjacent to the zoo that would help with the upcoming masterplan was rejected, citing potential risks to a nearby Iron Age earthwork.

April
  • On 2nd April, two Humboldt penguin chicks hatched.
  • A Colombian black spider monkey was born on 16th April.
  • Also on 16th April, four female Eastern pygmy marmosets arrived at Colchester from Chester Zoo.
  • On 16th-17th April, the Rajang's Forest building was damaged by storm winds, but had been repaired by the 18th.
  • Action for the Wild, the zoo's charitable arm, changed its name to Colchester Zoological Society.
  • In conservation news, this was the month that Colchester's reserve in South Africa, Umphafa, had its cheetah release permit approved.
- In this month, both the black-and-white ruffed lemurs and the pied tamarins left the collection.
- The last of the false tomato frogs died in April.

May
  • On 12th May, a new baby gelada was born at Colchester, the first since 2022.
  • The zoo celebrated Endangered Species Day on 17th May by sharing exclusive footage of a tiger feed on social media.
  • In other news, the zoo welcomed back Essex Libraries, revealed a new mascot and announced two new corporate sponsors.
- A new species arrived in the form of a shoal of golden orfe in the Dinosaur Realm.
- A baby Barbary macaque was born on 10th May, but died due to a decline in health on May 19th.
- A male Kirk's dik-dik was born on 21st July.
- The last of the bony-headed toads at Colchester died this month.

June
  • On 13th June, a coppery titi was born to parents Copper and Lewis, who had only been mixed together five months before.
  • On 14th June, male red panda An-An died at the age of 14. Since arriving at the zoo, he had sired five female cubs.
  • This month, the zoo won the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award 2024.
  • Another new corporate sponsor joined the zoo.
  • On 29th June, male African lion Bailey celebrated his seventeenth birthday.
- Around June or July, male golden lion tamarin Dillon was exported from Colchester to Darling Downs Zoo in Australia.

July
  • On 3rd July, twin rock hyraxes were born.
  • The zoo announced its plans to build a new lion enclosure beyond the current boundary of Edge of Africa.
  • The zoo started on a renovation of the space for the buffy-headed capuchins.
  • Two new female ostriches arrived at Colchester, bringing the flock up to four individuals.
  • An additional corporate sponsor joined the zoo.
- Additional births this month included another two rainbow lorikeets and a king vulture chick.
- Three new reptile species arrived this month; the black tree monitor, green tree skink and giant Madagascar day gecko (the latter still off-display).
- Two squirrel monkeys and three Kirk's dik-diks left Colchester for Exmoor and Dartmoor Zoos respectively.
- A male great grey owl joined the collection on 6th July.
- The zoo completed a renovation of the lion-tailed macaque enclosure.

August
  • Lena the female Amur leopard left the collection for Dartmoor Zoo on 14th August.
  • The zoo had several events in their summer celebration, including a Zoo Olympics.
  • For the second year running, the zoo announced the successful growing and fruiting of pumpkins in their elephant paddock.
- New animals that arrived this month included additional pygmy goats, cardinal tetras and also a new male African white-backed vulture to re-establish a pair at the zoo.
- On 29th August, male green anaconda Bernard was put to sleep because of a tumour.
- This month, the Amur leopards were mixed for breeding.
- Redevelopment started on a previously off-show space to provide a new indoor enclosure for the Goeldi's monkeys.

September
  • The announced news for this month was mainly corporate, including events in Colchester itself, the gifting of a rhino sculpture by the Colchester Medical Society and the winning of several awards.
- Additional arrivals included more pygmy goats, crested wood partridges and three new reindeer.
- A spur-thighed tortoise left the collection this month.

October
  • A new baby squirrel monkey was born on 29th October.
  • The zoo launched its new website.
  • Umphafa was officially declared a Nature Reserve by Kwazulu-Natal.
- A new female rhinoceros iguana arrived at the zoo.
- A new female green iguana was successfully mixed with the existing pair, and a black tree monitor went on-show.
- Several small developments either completed or continued, including for the elephants, sun bears, pygmy goats, Komodo dragons and also the capuchins.

November
  • While the news was announced in December, it was 24th November when two Amur leopard cubs were born.
  • The zoo released its Christmas advert on 5th November.
  • On 8th November, new male green anaconda Nino arrived at Colchester to join the current male Houdini.
- Additional pygmy goats moved on-show.
- The Goeldi's monkeys moved into their new enclosure.
- Sophie, a 25-year-old squirrel monkey, was put to sleep.

December
  • On 6th December, a Philippine spotted deer was born.
  • The zoo continues to prepare for the zoo to completely transfer from privately-owned to being a charity. It is hoped this will happen in early 2025.
The full round-up can be found in the link below:
2024 Round Up - Colchester Zoological Society
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Colchester Zoo have released their annual roundup of news from the year. I will also add additional news not mentioned in this roundup:

January
  • A Philippine spotted deer was born on January 2nd.
  • The zoo was shortlisted for a BIAZA Great British Wildlife Restoration Award.
  • The zoo also launched a brand-new STEM Design Challenge this month, in which over 10,000 schoolchildren participated.
  • Over 81,000 visitors came to the zoo in January alone.
- In this month, a new female coppery titi arrived at Colchester.
- Two rainbow lorikeet chicks hatched in January.
- The last of the shubunkin goldfish in Koi Niwa died on January 10th, while Bart the male African white-backed vulture died on January 12th.

February
  • The zoo announced the return of white-lipped tamarins to the collection.
  • The zoo was the winner of the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award at the East of England Tourism Awards.
  • A couple of events were run, one about the zoo's Komodo dragons and the other celebrating the zoo's staff.
- Around this time, several new species went on-display, including the giant Malaysian leaf insect, strawberry poison-dart frog and Sudan plated lizard.
- On 14th February, two gelada baboons were transferred from Colchester to Port Lympne.

March
  • A Ruppell's griffon vulture chick hatched on 2nd March.
  • Four warthog piglets were born on the night of the 5th and 6th March.
  • A new shoal of red-bellied piranhas arrived on 7th March.
  • On 22nd March, Otto the male white rhinoceros died while under anaesthesia.
  • The zoo opened its new Dinosaur Realm in March.
  • The zoo carried out its last release of Fisher's estuarine moth for the foreseeable future, as the programme has successfully re-established the species across several sites on the Essex coastline.
- A male Kirk's dik-dik was born on 21st March.
- The last Geoffroy's marmoset left the collection on 7th March. The zoo had previously said that the plan was for the species to return in the future.
- On 27th March, eight rainbow lorikeets and three Trinidad stream frogs were moved from Colchester to Northumberland College Zoo.
- The earthworks adjacent to the zoo that would help with the upcoming masterplan was rejected, citing potential risks to a nearby Iron Age earthwork.

April
  • On 2nd April, two Humboldt penguin chicks hatched.
  • A Colombian black spider monkey was born on 16th April.
  • Also on 16th April, four female Eastern pygmy marmosets arrived at Colchester from Chester Zoo.
  • On 16th-17th April, the Rajang's Forest building was damaged by storm winds, but had been repaired by the 18th.
  • Action for the Wild, the zoo's charitable arm, changed its name to Colchester Zoological Society.
  • In conservation news, this was the month that Colchester's reserve in South Africa, Umphafa, had its cheetah release permit approved.
- In this month, both the black-and-white ruffed lemurs and the pied tamarins left the collection.
- The last of the false tomato frogs died in April.

May
  • On 12th May, a new baby gelada was born at Colchester, the first since 2022.
  • The zoo celebrated Endangered Species Day on 17th May by sharing exclusive footage of a tiger feed on social media.
  • In other news, the zoo welcomed back Essex Libraries, revealed a new mascot and announced two new corporate sponsors.
- A new species arrived in the form of a shoal of golden orfe in the Dinosaur Realm.
- A baby Barbary macaque was born on 10th May, but died due to a decline in health on May 19th.
- A male Kirk's dik-dik was born on 21st July.
- The last of the bony-headed toads at Colchester died this month.

June
  • On 13th June, a coppery titi was born to parents Copper and Lewis, who had only been mixed together five months before.
  • On 14th June, male red panda An-An died at the age of 14. Since arriving at the zoo, he had sired five female cubs.
  • This month, the zoo won the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award 2024.
  • Another new corporate sponsor joined the zoo.
  • On 29th June, male African lion Bailey celebrated his seventeenth birthday.
- Around June or July, male golden lion tamarin Dillon was exported from Colchester to Darling Downs Zoo in Australia.

July
  • On 3rd July, twin rock hyraxes were born.
  • The zoo announced its plans to build a new lion enclosure beyond the current boundary of Edge of Africa.
  • The zoo started on a renovation of the space for the buffy-headed capuchins.
  • Two new female ostriches arrived at Colchester, bringing the flock up to four individuals.
  • An additional corporate sponsor joined the zoo.
- Additional births this month included another two rainbow lorikeets and a king vulture chick.
- Three new reptile species arrived this month; the black tree monitor, green tree skink and giant Madagascar day gecko (the latter still off-display).
- Two squirrel monkeys and three Kirk's dik-diks left Colchester for Exmoor and Dartmoor Zoos respectively.
- A male great grey owl joined the collection on 6th July.
- The zoo completed a renovation of the lion-tailed macaque enclosure.

August
  • Lena the female Amur leopard left the collection for Dartmoor Zoo on 14th August.
  • The zoo had several events in their summer celebration, including a Zoo Olympics.
  • For the second year running, the zoo announced the successful growing and fruiting of pumpkins in their elephant paddock.
- New animals that arrived this month included additional pygmy goats, cardinal tetras and also a new male African white-backed vulture to re-establish a pair at the zoo.
- On 29th August, male green anaconda Bernard was put to sleep because of a tumour.
- This month, the Amur leopards were mixed for breeding.
- Redevelopment started on a previously off-show space to provide a new indoor enclosure for the Goeldi's monkeys.

September
  • The announced news for this month was mainly corporate, including events in Colchester itself, the gifting of a rhino sculpture by the Colchester Medical Society and the winning of several awards.
- Additional arrivals included more pygmy goats, crested wood partridges and three new reindeer.
- A spur-thighed tortoise left the collection this month.

October
  • A new baby squirrel monkey was born on 29th October.
  • The zoo launched its new website.
  • Umphafa was officially declared a Nature Reserve by Kwazulu-Natal.
- A new female rhinoceros iguana arrived at the zoo.
- A new female green iguana was successfully mixed with the existing pair, and a black tree monitor went on-show.
- Several small developments either completed or continued, including for the elephants, sun bears, pygmy goats, Komodo dragons and also the capuchins.

November
  • While the news was announced in December, it was 24th November when two Amur leopard cubs were born.
  • The zoo released its Christmas advert on 5th November.
  • On 8th November, new male green anaconda Nino arrived at Colchester to join the current male Houdini.
- Additional pygmy goats moved on-show.
- The Goeldi's monkeys moved into their new enclosure.
- Sophie, a 25-year-old squirrel monkey, was put to sleep.

December
  • On 6th December, a Philippine spotted deer was born.
  • The zoo continues to prepare for the zoo to completely transfer from privately-owned to being a charity. It is hoped this will happen in early 2025.
The full round-up can be found in the link below:
2024 Round Up - Colchester Zoological Society
Click to expand...

Lets sincerely hope that it fares better as a charity, than some of the other zoos which have taken the same route.
40% inheritance tax on private 'estates' (twice that of the much publicised future agricultural rate) could force the closure/sale of most of the UK's private zoos - if some kind of similar direction is not taken.
Lets hope that without a Tropeano at the helm, it will not go the way of those formerly owned by a Wayre, or Goymour, Badham, Knowles etc etc
 
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