Not during the week when children are at school it won't. That's always the time to go if you can.
Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2025
- Thread starter DesertRhino150
- Start date
Colchester Zoo have released an update on their bush dogs. The breeding male, Nico, died in June 2024 at the age of 8, and the breeding female, Nina, died in December 2024 at the age of 9. Together, they had produced 15 offspring.
The plans for the remaining six dogs, all of them pups of this pair, is for five of them to transfer to Belfast Zoo on 23rd January (alongside the chimps). The remaining female, Sabre, will be joined by a new male named Kourou who will arrive from Safari de Peaugres, France in February 2025.
The plans for the remaining six dogs, all of them pups of this pair, is for five of them to transfer to Belfast Zoo on 23rd January (alongside the chimps). The remaining female, Sabre, will be joined by a new male named Kourou who will arrive from Safari de Peaugres, France in February 2025.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
It's a shame about Nico and Nina, 8 and 9 sounds quite young but maybe it's not for bush dogs. Very nice they have plans to form another breeding pair already, however February 2025 seems not too close and I wonder how Sabre will fair living by herself for a year. Hopefully when the new male arrives they will be more regularly visible for me!
Edit: It is 2025 already, so not that far away!
Last edited:
I think you've got the date a little mixed up - February 2025 is less than a month away.
Also, I looked up the lifespan of bush dogs, and it seems like ten is about the average lifespan, with fourteen being the oldest ever.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
That's right sorry! In my defence, we are only 3 weeks into the year, however that just makes this even better news. New pups should be a realistic possibility before the end of the year and hopefully the pack will become more showy again like they were when the first few litters were young.I think you've got the date a little mixed up - February 2025 is less than a month away.
Also, I looked up the lifespan of bush dogs, and it seems like ten is about the average lifespan, with fourteen being the oldest ever.
Sounds like Nico and Nina lived good length lives, I suppose it just felt to me like they weren't too old still, having witnessed the pack grow from just them. It has now shrunk again and has the potential to become a young, lively group once more in the near future.
Some interesting conservation news - Umphafa Nature Reserve, Colchester Zoo's private nature reserve in South Africa, has brought in its first cheetah.
The female cat, named Ashia after her donors at Ashia Cheetah Conservation, was born on 15th June 2022 at Phinda Private Game Reserve and arrived at Umphafa on 20th January 2025. She is currently settling into a boma normally used by the reserve for bonding packs of wild dogs, and will be joined by two males in the coming months.
The female cat, named Ashia after her donors at Ashia Cheetah Conservation, was born on 15th June 2022 at Phinda Private Game Reserve and arrived at Umphafa on 20th January 2025. She is currently settling into a boma normally used by the reserve for bonding packs of wild dogs, and will be joined by two males in the coming months.
Indeed, the longest-lived bush dog recorded in Richard Weigl's excellent book on mammalian longevity, lived to be fourteen years one month old.
It's interesting to note that this long-lived individual spent more than ten years at Colchester Zoo (from 2nd June 1988 until 15th January 1999).
Weather permitting going on Wednesday, haven't been for a couple of years so not sure how much has changed or any new species that have arrived.
Wondering if anyone has had any luck seeing the leopard cubs yet?
Wondering if anyone has had any luck seeing the leopard cubs yet?
Thank you fingers crossed we get to see them.
I will say that I recommend trying to view from the cave windows at the top as they are an awful lot quieter than the large viewing window at the bottom which has a stand off barrier which is taken up by people with very large cameras who think they deserve to see the cubs more than any other visitors including small children.
Colchester Zoo have announced on their Facebook page that the switch to a charitable organisation, Colchester Zoological Society, will take place tomorrow (February 1st).
As part of this, they have said that between 10:30pm on Friday 31st January 2025 to 9:00am on Saturday 1st February 2025, online purchases will be unavailable.
As part of this, they have said that between 10:30pm on Friday 31st January 2025 to 9:00am on Saturday 1st February 2025, online purchases will be unavailable.
Had a great day out at Colchester the other day at £10 a ticket in winter it is such great value and well worth the drive.
Highlight has to be the leopard cubs who we saw both times we were in that area, like previously mentioned lots of photographer's staked out for the day despite a sign clearly stating to not stay in the area for to long.
Highlight has to be the leopard cubs who we saw both times we were in that area, like previously mentioned lots of photographer's staked out for the day despite a sign clearly stating to not stay in the area for to long.
Colchester have uploaded the December 2024 monthly report today. While a couple of bits of news have been well-reported here (the birth of the Philippine spotted deer and death of bush dog female 'Nina', as well as the movement plans for the bush dogs), there is still some new information.
- Among the golden lion tamarins - female 'Lily' left Colchester for Banham Zoo on 3rd December and was replaced by a new female named 'Freia'. On 4th December the new male, named 'Tree Trunks' arrived from Jersey Zoo.
- The golden-headed lion tamarins in the old Goeldi's monkey enclosure are the pair from the Rainforest Walkthrough enclosure, named 'Harvey' and 'Blondie'.
- The male and female rhinoceros iguanas, 'Rico' and 'Carmen', swapped enclosures, with Rico going back on-show in Worlds Apart on 9th December. The pair will be gradually introduced over several weeks when the zoo is closed.
- On 12th December, a shoal of 37 rosy barbs arrived, and were still in quarantine at the time of publication.
- Mammals (64 species - 304 individuals)
- Birds (16 species - 196 individuals)
- Reptiles (26 species - 66 individuals)
- Amphibians (4 species - 39 individuals)
- Fishes (37 species - 418 individuals and 8 colonies)
- Invertebrates (5 species - 7 individuals and 2 colonies)
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Went for a visit to Colchester Zoo this morning. Despite the abysmal weather, there are a few things to report:
- The capuchin development has continued even further since my last visit. The enclosure itself looks almost done, and work now seems to be focused on building up the visitor areas. The undercover viewing area is now basically complete, and the paths are being put in.
- Was pleased to see that additional planting has been added to the Fiji banded iguana enclosure.
- Although it is still signed, it seems that the last pennant coralfish (or longfin bannerfish) in the Rajang's Forest reef aquarium has now died. I think it must be one of the two animals that has been removed from the species list on the zoo's website recently.
- One of the Ruppell's griffon vultures is sitting on a nest, and there is now signage up at the aviary explaining that this is why it is not as clean as normal.
How many pairs of Ruppell's griffons do they hold now? Any more information on the stats for breeding over the last few years?
I'm not entirely certain of the number of breeding pairs - I think there may be three pairs? Breeding has picked up recently too, with a chick born in March 2024 still in the collection at the moment.
I hope this is not a silly question but is the stocklist avaliable anywhere? If not how many vultures are in the large aviary next to kingdom of the wild?