Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo - past, present and future

[DesertRhino150]

Hopefully this will answer some of your questions - I have judged the timings to be between 1998 and 2002, and am using information from between these years.

I remember monkey mountain (I think where the spider monkeys are) but I can’t remember which species were on show apart from B&W Lemurs but that’s all.

The one species list I can find for Monkey Mountain is from 1998. At that time, as well as the spider monkeys (which were present throughout this time), there were the aforementioned lemurs, plus capuchin monkeys and De Brazza's guenons. In 2003, just after Kingdom of the Wild had opened, there were mongoose lemurs kept here, so they could have been present in the previous year as well.

I also remember a sort of snake house next to the old lion enclosure (now cherry-crowned mangabeys) is that right? Or have I dreamt that?

There was a small building with two reptile tanks called 'Snakes and Lizards' which was to the left of the old lion display. Although it is long-since closed, the building is still there but is locked - to those interested, it is the little alcove with two doors facing each other on opposite walls.

The most prominent things I’ve always thought about was I definitely remember a temporary binturong enclosure near to a temporary path that led through the car park. I’m also pretty sure near by the jaguars was a leopard enclosure where we had to look right up to see it sitting.

While I cannot recall exactly, I imagine the binturong enclosure would have been near to where the gibbon enclosure now is, as this is an area that saw a lot of development in that time (with the renovation of Africana to the former Wilds of Asia section). In 1998, there was possibly a leopard in this section, on the site of the current gibbon enclosure - if the time was any later, it could alternatively have been the snow leopards which were also near the jaguar enclosure.

I also think I remember a sort of desert house that you walked down into but I’m pretty sure I’ve probably made that up.

I think there may have been two different buildings called 'Desert Life' around this time. One was the better-known exhibit, next to where the iguana walkthrough now stands - it was an all-indoor display with glass-fronted enclosures for reptiles, fennec foxes and sand cats. The other, which I have less clear memories of, was on the site of what is now the crowned pigeon and partridge area. It was another indoor display, with the path going diagonally through the space. There were glass-sided enclosures on either side of the pathway, which I definitely remember being home to tortoises.

 

[speedycheese]

This thread is bringing back so many memories. I'd forgotten all about the old aquatics room, as well as Snakes and Lizards. Personal favourite activity of mine was seeing what "hidden" species I could see in the old somewhat off show reptile/amphibian room in the corner of World's Apart.

Thank you for putting this together!

 

[DesertRhino150]

This thread is bringing back so many memories. I'd forgotten all about the old aquatics room, as well as Snakes and Lizards. Personal favourite activity of mine was seeing what "hidden" species I could see in the old somewhat off show reptile/amphibian room in the corner of World's Apart.

I remember the off-show herptile room as well - I recall the best way to view it was by looking through the small tortoise terrarium in Penguin Shores, as certainly in earlier times it had a glass back window. Only thing I definitely remember seeing in there were young Madagascar tree boas.

Thank you for putting this together!

No problem. It's something I've enjoyed doing. I'll be uploading the last animal group today, and then I'll have a brief break of a week or two before I start doing the overview of historic locations within the zoo.

 

[DesertRhino150]

INVERTEBRATES

Invertebrates make up the enormous majority of living animals, yet at Colchester Zoo they have had a colossal change in fortune. As recently as 2020, there were some twenty-eight species of invertebrate on-show but by 2023 this number had dropped to just five species, two of which are kept off-show. The closure of just a couple of areas - the Discovery Centre and the Butterfly Glade display - did much of the damage, as well as the removal of several small terrariums in the Kingdom of the Wild house and the removal of marine invertebrates from the reef tank in Rajang’s Forest. There may be hope for the future however, as the recent masterplan does include a much larger custom-made butterfly house as one of its new exhibits. Because invertebrates are rarely the focus of a display, there is scant information of what may have been missed in the past regarding invertebrates – a butterfly house was part of the original plans for Rajang’s Forest, but the only specific species I know that didn’t pan out was the common octopus, planned for the aquarium in 1972. This species didn’t arrive because of an international dispute with Malta.

Past holdings:
Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

This species had only a short stint as a display animal at Colchester Zoo. They went on-display in the Discovery Centre in October 2021, only for them to leave when the building closed a couple of months later.

Sabah thorny stick insect, Aretaon asperrimus

I am not certain when this species arrived at or left the zoo, but they were kept in a small terrarium on the upper level of Rajang’s Forest until 2013; they then moved to the Discovery Centre where they were still present in 2018.

Giant flower beetle, Mecynorrhina torquata

This species of beetle was definitely present in the Discovery Centre in 2011, although I am not certain when they arrived at or left the collection.

Jade-headed beetle, Eudicella smithii (?)

The 2003 zoo map lists the jade-headed beetle as living in the Kingdom of the Wild house. While the identification is not certain, most sources I can find use the common name to refer to this Eudicella beetle.

Dung beetle, Scarabaeinae sp. (?)

This is an uncertain species but, while my memories on it are fuzzy, I seem to recall that one of the two indoor terraria in the Elephant Kingdom housed a species of dung beetle when it opened in 1998.

Fregate Island palm beetle, Polposipus herculeanus

This rare species first arrived at the zoo in 2012, before going on-display in the Discovery Centre in 2013. Colchester Zoo bred the species in 2015, but they left in 2016.

Purple flower beetle, Smaragdesthes africana oertzeni

This subspecies arrived in the Discovery Centre in 2018 and left the collection in 2020.

African sun beetle, Pachnoda marginata

This species of beetle was at Colchester Zoo longer than any other. The earliest confirmed record I can find is from an online photograph from 2007, which seem to show they lived in Kingdom of the Wild. They then lived in the Discovery Centre from 2013 to around 2020.

White-spotted assassin bug, Platymeris biguttatus

The earliest record I can find for this species is from 2008, when they moved into the former sun beetle display in Kingdom of the Wild. In 2021, the species temporarily moved to the Discovery Centre, before leaving later that year when the exhibit was closed.

Leaf-cutting ant, Atta cephalotes

A colony of these ants was present at the opening of Kingdom of the Wild in 2002. The zoo has gone through several colonies in that time, and at one point the colony got so large their enclosure was extended to include the former touch pool as well as their nest tank. After this colony died, attempts to establish a new group failed. The last colony was kept until around 2020.

Zebra longwing butterfly, Heliconius charithonia (?)

A news article released by the zoo in 2015 suggested that this was one of the two butterfly species being kept in the Butterfly Glade exhibit, with a specific reference to these butterflies hatching. When the exhibit later opened, this species was not present, and never went back on display.

Piano-key butterfly, Heliconius melpomene (?)

The story of this butterfly is identical to that of the zebra longwing – said to be hatching in the Butterfly Glade exhibit in 2015, but not present when the exhibit opened.

Owl butterfly, Caligo memnon

This was one of the species present in Butterfly Glade when it opened in 2015 – they remained and bred in this exhibit until its closure in 2020. For a brief period after this closure, these butterflies moved into a mixed display with the green anacondas in Worlds Apart before they left the collection later that year.

Giant forest owl butterfly, Caligo eurilochus

Signage indicated that this species was present in Butterfly Glade between 2016 and the exhibit’s closure in 2020.

Yellow-edged giant owl butterfly, Caligo atreus

This species first arrived in Butterfly Glade in 2018, and remained there until the exhibit was closed in 2020.

Peleides blue morpho butterfly, Morpho peleides

This species arrived for the Butterfly Glade exhibit in 2017, and remained at the zoo until the exhibit was closed in 2020.

Asian swallowtail, Papilio lowi

I saw and photographed a single individual of this species in Butterfly Glade soon after it opened in 2015. It was never signed, and no new individuals arrived.

Brine shrimp, Artemia sp.

In at least 2012, these tiny arthropods lived in several petri dishes that could be viewed in the microscope bank that stands between the end of the Playa Patagonia sea lion tunnel and the entrance to the Rajang’s Forest access tunnel. I do not know exactly when they arrived at or left the zoo.

Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis

The 2003 map shows this species in the Kingdom of the Wild house, probably living in the touch pool. The species returned in 2018, with a group of at least seven arriving in the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. The species disappeared again from the collection in 2022.

Blood shrimp, Lysmata debelius

This species is shown on the 2003 map in Kingdom of the Wild, presumably living in the touch pool.

Camel shrimp, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis

This species of shrimp arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2018, moving into the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. It left the collection in 2022.

Tanzanian red-legged millipede, Epibolus pulchripes

This species of millipede was definitely present in 2012, living in a terrarium in Kingdom of the Wild. I do not know exactly when this species arrived at or left the collection.

Ghana speckled-leg millipede, Telodeinopus aoutii

This species arrived at the zoo in 2019 to be one of the handleable species in the Sensation Station. It never went on permanent display, and left sometime soon after 2020.

Chilean rose tarantula, Grammostola rosea

I do not know the exact timing of this species arrival or departure from the zoo, but it was definitely present in one of the tanks in the Discovery Centre in 2013.

Brazilian salmon pink tarantula, Lasiodora parahybana

While it may well have been present earlier, the first record I can find for this large spider is from 2015. It left the collection soon before the closing of the Discovery Centre in 2021.

Mexican redknee tarantula, Brachypelma hamorii

This species went on and off display frequently. While it may well have been present earlier, the first confirmed record I can find is from 2009 in the Discovery Centre. The last one left the collection when the Discovery Centre closed in 2021, and was also the last spider Colchester Zoo has held.

Brazilian white-kneed tarantula, Acanthoscurria geniculata

The first record I can find for this species is an online photograph from 2010, while the latest record I have found is from 2013. The species lived in the Discovery Centre.

Costa Rica tiger-rump tarantula, Davus fasciatus

An individual of this species arrived in the Discovery Centre in 2016, before leaving in 2018.

Haitian brown tarantula, Phormictopus cancerides

This species was definitely present in the Discovery Centre when it opened in 2008, so may have moved over from the tarantula tanks in the Aquatics House. It left the collection in August 2009.

King baboon spider, Pelinobius muticus

While I am not certain of dates of arrival or departure, this species of African tarantula was present in the Kingdom of the Wild house soon after its opening in 2002.

Imperial scorpion, Pandinus imperator

This species was present in the Discovery Centre when it first opened in 2008. Imperial scorpions were last kept at Colchester Zoo in 2018.

Tanzanian giant tailless whipscorpion, Damon variegatus

The whipscorpion first arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2013 in the Discovery Centre. At least once, in 2015, the species was successfully bred. This species left the collection at or soon before the closure of the Discovery Centre in 2021.

East African giant land snail, Achatina fulica

I do not know when this species arrived at or left the collection, but I have a photograph of one dating from 2012. It lived in the Kingdom of the Wild house.

Malaysian trumpet snail, Melanoides tuberculata

This species was present in one of the now boarded-up aquariums in Penguin Shores in 2015. It was not signed and I only ever saw one once.

Soft coral, Alcyonacea spp.

A photograph on Flickr shows this unidentified species as far back as 2014, living in the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. It had disappeared by 2022.

Leathery soft coral, Alcyoniidae spp.

I do not know when this unidentified species arrived, but it had gone from the collection by 2022. This species also lived in the Rajang’s Forest aquarium.

Uncertain holdings:
Macleay’s spectre stick insect, Extatosoma tiaratum

While a giant stick insect is listed on the 2003 map in Kingdom of the Wild, the earliest confirmed record I have for this Australian species is from 2012, although I am sure they were around prior to this. From 2012 to 2022 they lived in the Discovery Centre, before moving over to the Sensation Station. In 2024, they were replaced by the strawberry poison-dart frogs, and I do not know whether the species has left the collection or is simply off-show – in early 2023, there were only three individuals remaining.

Present holdings:
Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa

I do not know exactly when this species arrived – the 2003 zoo map does list giant cockroaches living in the Kingdom of the Wild house, but they could equally be a different species. The first confirmed record I can find is an online photograph from 2008. In 2018 this species was kept in two enclosures, one in Kingdom of the Wild and the other in the Discovery Centre. Since 2022 they have lived only in the Sensation Station.

Giant spiny stick insect, Eurycantha calcarata

Again, I do not know exactly when this species arrived at the zoo – the first record I can find is from 2011. They originally lived in the current toad terrarium in Rajang’s Forest, before moving to the Discovery Centre. Since 2022 the species has only lived in the Sensation Station.

Giant Malaysian leaf insect, Pulchriphyllium giganteum

This species is listed as one of the encounter animals in the Sensation Station as of 2024.

Fisher’s estuarine moth, Gortyna borelii lunata

This threatened subspecies of moth, largely endemic to the North Essex coast, first came to the zoo in 2008 as part of a breeding programme run in coordination with Natural England, Tendring District Council and Writtle University College. Each year, eggs from the captive breeding programme have been released onto newly-created habitat sites. The project has been so successful that the establishment of populations of all sites has been achieved – the 2022 annual report for Action for the Wild says that the breeding programme is reaching its final stages. Although the moths are kept and bred on the zoo site, they have never been on public display.

West African giant land snail, Archachatina marginata

I do not know when this species arrived in the collection, but I know that they were kept until 2018 in the Discovery Centre, before moving to the Sensation Station in 2019, where they remain to this day.


Invertebrates are now at their lowest ebb at Colchester Zoo for decades, although plans for a new butterfly house do give some hope for the future.

The species list is, for now, complete. I will add new species if and when I discover them. The focus is going to turn to the different zones within the zoo and examining how they have changed through the course of the zoo’s history.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

INVERTEBRATES

Invertebrates make up the enormous majority of living animals, yet at Colchester Zoo they have had a colossal change in fortune. As recently as 2020, there were some twenty-eight species of invertebrate on-show but by 2023 this number had dropped to just five species, two of which are kept off-show. The closure of just a couple of areas - the Discovery Centre and the Butterfly Glade display - did much of the damage, as well as the removal of several small terrariums in the Kingdom of the Wild house and the removal of marine invertebrates from the reef tank in Rajang’s Forest. There may be hope for the future however, as the recent masterplan does include a much larger custom-made butterfly house as one of its new exhibits. Because invertebrates are rarely the focus of a display, there is scant information of what may have been missed in the past regarding invertebrates – a butterfly house was part of the original plans for Rajang’s Forest, but the only specific species I know that didn’t pan out was the common octopus, planned for the aquarium in 1972. This species didn’t arrive because of an international dispute with Malta.

Past holdings:
Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

This species had only a short stint as a display animal at Colchester Zoo. They went on-display in the Discovery Centre in October 2021, only for them to leave when the building closed a couple of months later.

Sabah thorny stick insect, Aretaon asperrimus

I am not certain when this species arrived at or left the zoo, but they were kept in a small terrarium on the upper level of Rajang’s Forest until 2013; they then moved to the Discovery Centre where they were still present in 2018.

Giant flower beetle, Mecynorrhina torquata

This species of beetle was definitely present in the Discovery Centre in 2011, although I am not certain when they arrived at or left the collection.

Jade-headed beetle, Eudicella smithii (?)

The 2003 zoo map lists the jade-headed beetle as living in the Kingdom of the Wild house. While the identification is not certain, most sources I can find use the common name to refer to this Eudicella beetle.

Dung beetle, Scarabaeinae sp. (?)

This is an uncertain species but, while my memories on it are fuzzy, I seem to recall that one of the two indoor terraria in the Elephant Kingdom housed a species of dung beetle when it opened in 1998.

Fregate Island palm beetle, Polposipus herculeanus

This rare species first arrived at the zoo in 2012, before going on-display in the Discovery Centre in 2013. Colchester Zoo bred the species in 2015, but they left in 2016.

Purple flower beetle, Smaragdesthes africana oertzeni

This subspecies arrived in the Discovery Centre in 2018 and left the collection in 2020.

African sun beetle, Pachnoda marginata

This species of beetle was at Colchester Zoo longer than any other. The earliest confirmed record I can find is from an online photograph from 2007, which seem to show they lived in Kingdom of the Wild. They then lived in the Discovery Centre from 2013 to around 2020.

White-spotted assassin bug, Platymeris biguttatus

The earliest record I can find for this species is from 2008, when they moved into the former sun beetle display in Kingdom of the Wild. In 2021, the species temporarily moved to the Discovery Centre, before leaving later that year when the exhibit was closed.

Leaf-cutting ant, Atta cephalotes

A colony of these ants was present at the opening of Kingdom of the Wild in 2002. The zoo has gone through several colonies in that time, and at one point the colony got so large their enclosure was extended to include the former touch pool as well as their nest tank. After this colony died, attempts to establish a new group failed. The last colony was kept until around 2020.

Zebra longwing butterfly, Heliconius charithonia (?)

A news article released by the zoo in 2015 suggested that this was one of the two butterfly species being kept in the Butterfly Glade exhibit, with a specific reference to these butterflies hatching. When the exhibit later opened, this species was not present, and never went back on display.

Piano-key butterfly, Heliconius melpomene (?)

The story of this butterfly is identical to that of the zebra longwing – said to be hatching in the Butterfly Glade exhibit in 2015, but not present when the exhibit opened.

Owl butterfly, Caligo memnon

This was one of the species present in Butterfly Glade when it opened in 2015 – they remained and bred in this exhibit until its closure in 2020. For a brief period after this closure, these butterflies moved into a mixed display with the green anacondas in Worlds Apart before they left the collection later that year.

Giant forest owl butterfly, Caligo eurilochus

Signage indicated that this species was present in Butterfly Glade between 2016 and the exhibit’s closure in 2020.

Yellow-edged giant owl butterfly, Caligo atreus

This species first arrived in Butterfly Glade in 2018, and remained there until the exhibit was closed in 2020.

Peleides blue morpho butterfly, Morpho peleides

This species arrived for the Butterfly Glade exhibit in 2017, and remained at the zoo until the exhibit was closed in 2020.

Asian swallowtail, Papilio lowi

I saw and photographed a single individual of this species in Butterfly Glade soon after it opened in 2015. It was never signed, and no new individuals arrived.

Brine shrimp, Artemia sp.

In at least 2012, these tiny arthropods lived in several petri dishes that could be viewed in the microscope bank that stands between the end of the Playa Patagonia sea lion tunnel and the entrance to the Rajang’s Forest access tunnel. I do not know exactly when they arrived at or left the zoo.

Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis

The 2003 map shows this species in the Kingdom of the Wild house, probably living in the touch pool. The species returned in 2018, with a group of at least seven arriving in the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. The species disappeared again from the collection in 2022.

Blood shrimp, Lysmata debelius

This species is shown on the 2003 map in Kingdom of the Wild, presumably living in the touch pool.

Camel shrimp, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis

This species of shrimp arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2018, moving into the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. It left the collection in 2022.

Tanzanian red-legged millipede, Epibolus pulchripes

This species of millipede was definitely present in 2012, living in a terrarium in Kingdom of the Wild. I do not know exactly when this species arrived at or left the collection.

Ghana speckled-leg millipede, Telodeinopus aoutii

This species arrived at the zoo in 2019 to be one of the handleable species in the Sensation Station. It never went on permanent display, and left sometime soon after 2020.

Chilean rose tarantula, Grammostola rosea

I do not know the exact timing of this species arrival or departure from the zoo, but it was definitely present in one of the tanks in the Discovery Centre in 2013.

Brazilian salmon pink tarantula, Lasiodora parahybana

While it may well have been present earlier, the first record I can find for this large spider is from 2015. It left the collection soon before the closing of the Discovery Centre in 2021.

Mexican redknee tarantula, Brachypelma hamorii

This species went on and off display frequently. While it may well have been present earlier, the first confirmed record I can find is from 2009 in the Discovery Centre. The last one left the collection when the Discovery Centre closed in 2021, and was also the last spider Colchester Zoo has held.

Brazilian white-kneed tarantula, Acanthoscurria geniculata

The first record I can find for this species is an online photograph from 2010, while the latest record I have found is from 2013. The species lived in the Discovery Centre.

Costa Rica tiger-rump tarantula, Davus fasciatus

An individual of this species arrived in the Discovery Centre in 2016, before leaving in 2018.

Haitian brown tarantula, Phormictopus cancerides

This species was definitely present in the Discovery Centre when it opened in 2008, so may have moved over from the tarantula tanks in the Aquatics House. It left the collection in August 2009.

King baboon spider, Pelinobius muticus

While I am not certain of dates of arrival or departure, this species of African tarantula was present in the Kingdom of the Wild house soon after its opening in 2002.

Imperial scorpion, Pandinus imperator

This species was present in the Discovery Centre when it first opened in 2008. Imperial scorpions were last kept at Colchester Zoo in 2018.

Tanzanian giant tailless whipscorpion, Damon variegatus

The whipscorpion first arrived at Colchester Zoo in 2013 in the Discovery Centre. At least once, in 2015, the species was successfully bred. This species left the collection at or soon before the closure of the Discovery Centre in 2021.

East African giant land snail, Achatina fulica

I do not know when this species arrived at or left the collection, but I have a photograph of one dating from 2012. It lived in the Kingdom of the Wild house.

Malaysian trumpet snail, Melanoides tuberculata

This species was present in one of the now boarded-up aquariums in Penguin Shores in 2015. It was not signed and I only ever saw one once.

Soft coral, Alcyonacea spp.

A photograph on Flickr shows this unidentified species as far back as 2014, living in the marine aquarium in Rajang’s Forest. It had disappeared by 2022.

Leathery soft coral, Alcyoniidae spp.

I do not know when this unidentified species arrived, but it had gone from the collection by 2022. This species also lived in the Rajang’s Forest aquarium.

Uncertain holdings:
Macleay’s spectre stick insect, Extatosoma tiaratum

While a giant stick insect is listed on the 2003 map in Kingdom of the Wild, the earliest confirmed record I have for this Australian species is from 2012, although I am sure they were around prior to this. From 2012 to 2022 they lived in the Discovery Centre, before moving over to the Sensation Station. In 2024, they were replaced by the strawberry poison-dart frogs, and I do not know whether the species has left the collection or is simply off-show – in early 2023, there were only three individuals remaining.

Present holdings:
Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa

I do not know exactly when this species arrived – the 2003 zoo map does list giant cockroaches living in the Kingdom of the Wild house, but they could equally be a different species. The first confirmed record I can find is an online photograph from 2008. In 2018 this species was kept in two enclosures, one in Kingdom of the Wild and the other in the Discovery Centre. Since 2022 they have lived only in the Sensation Station.

Giant spiny stick insect, Eurycantha calcarata

Again, I do not know exactly when this species arrived at the zoo – the first record I can find is from 2011. They originally lived in the current toad terrarium in Rajang’s Forest, before moving to the Discovery Centre. Since 2022 the species has only lived in the Sensation Station.

Giant Malaysian leaf insect, Pulchriphyllium giganteum

This species is listed as one of the encounter animals in the Sensation Station as of 2024.

Fisher’s estuarine moth, Gortyna borelii lunata

This threatened subspecies of moth, largely endemic to the North Essex coast, first came to the zoo in 2008 as part of a breeding programme run in coordination with Natural England, Tendring District Council and Writtle University College. Each year, eggs from the captive breeding programme have been released onto newly-created habitat sites. The project has been so successful that the establishment of populations of all sites has been achieved – the 2022 annual report for Action for the Wild says that the breeding programme is reaching its final stages. Although the moths are kept and bred on the zoo site, they have never been on public display.

West African giant land snail, Archachatina marginata

I do not know when this species arrived in the collection, but I know that they were kept until 2018 in the Discovery Centre, before moving to the Sensation Station in 2019, where they remain to this day.

View attachment 691759
Invertebrates are now at their lowest ebb at Colchester Zoo for decades, although plans for a new butterfly house do give some hope for the future.

The species list is, for now, complete. I will add new species if and when I discover them. The focus is going to turn to the different zones within the zoo and examining how they have changed through the course of the zoo’s history.

Noticed an increase of species leaving around 2020 ,or there about. I'm wondering if a keeper, who had an interest in insects left at that time?

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Hopefully this will answer some of your questions - I have judged the timings to be between 1998 and 2002, and am using information from between these years.



The one species list I can find for Monkey Mountain is from 1998. At that time, as well as the spider monkeys (which were present throughout this time), there were the aforementioned lemurs, plus capuchin monkeys and De Brazza's guenons. In 2003, just after Kingdom of the Wild had opened, there were mongoose lemurs kept here, so they could have been present in the previous year as well.



There was a small building with two reptile tanks called 'Snakes and Lizards' which was to the left of the old lion display. Although it is long-since closed, the building is still there but is locked - to those interested, it is the little alcove with two doors facing each other on opposite walls.



While I cannot recall exactly, I imagine the binturong enclosure would have been near to where the gibbon enclosure now is, as this is an area that saw a lot of development in that time (with the renovation of Africana to the former Wilds of Asia section). In 1998, there was possibly a leopard in this section, on the site of the current gibbon enclosure - if the time was any later, it could alternatively have been the snow leopards which were also near the jaguar enclosure.



I think there may have been two different buildings called 'Desert Life' around this time. One was the better-known exhibit, next to where the iguana walkthrough now stands - it was an all-indoor display with glass-fronted enclosures for reptiles, fennec foxes and sand cats. The other, which I have less clear memories of, was on the site of what is now the crowned pigeon and partridge area. It was another indoor display, with the path going diagonally through the space. There were glass-sided enclosures on either side of the pathway, which I definitely remember being home to tortoises.

Thank you so much, i feel vindicated now haha! The fact you mentioned it was glass sided eitherside of a pathway is what i remember so its good that was right.

The africana name rings a bell, was that possibly a L'hoest monkey area attached to the chimp world house and also had cheetahs?

 

[DesertRhino150]

Thank you so much, i feel vindicated now haha! The fact you mentioned it was glass sided eitherside of a pathway is what i remember so its good that was right.

The africana name rings a bell, was that possibly a L'hoest monkey area attached to the chimp world house and also had cheetahs?

Been trying to find information about Africana, at first I thought it may have been for L'Hoest's and Diana monkeys - starting out in what is now the Rivers Edge/Wilds of Asia house, and then moving to their later enclosures by the chimps. However, I have found maps showing that Africana existed at the same time as the later monkey enclosures, so I'm back to being none the wiser what actually lived there.

 

[Chlidonias]

There is also a really good photo of father, mother, offspring lined up in Animals On View.

This is the photo on the page :

 

[DesertRhino150]

I have been working through the zoo layout section of this thread, although it is taking some time.
However, I thought I would do an update of some more animals that are either newly arrived, returned species, have recently left and a few historic species that have passed my notice.

Past holdings:

Siberian chipmunk, Eutamias sibiricus

I have very recently sourced a new map from Colchester Zoo dating back to 1986 - this map records Siberian chipmunks living at the zoo. The map shows them living roughly where the undercover viewing area for the grey wolves now stands.

Black-and-white ruffed lemur, Varecia variegata

After the species' uninterrupted presence at the zoo since at least 1991, the pair of ruffed lemurs moved to new zoos in 2024. The male moved to Poland and the female to Banham Zoo.

Geoffroy’s marmoset, Callithrix geoffroyi

The last female of this species moved to Blackpool Zoo on March 7th. The zoo has announced that this will be a temporary departure, with the species due to return at some stage.

Pied tamarin, Saguinus bicolor

The group of pied tamarins left the collection in 2024, moving to Banham Zoo.

Common eland, Taurotragus oryx

The 1986 leaflet and map records eland as living mixed with the zeedonks in one of the paddocks by the old zoo boundary, roughly where the Kingdom of the Wild house now stands.

Aoudad, Ammotragus lervia

These caprines are also shown on the 1986 zoo map, living roughly where the Inca Trail penguin enclosure and adjacent bearded saki enclosure now stands.

Canada goose, Branta canadensis

Although they may have been feral, the 1986 zoo map specifically lists this species and mentions that they are free-roaming, which makes me think they may have been zoo birds.

Bony-headed toad, Ingerophrynus galeatus

The last individual of this species disappeared from the collection in May 2024, with its tank in Rajang's Forest currently empty.

False tomato frog, Dyscophus guineti

The last individual of this species died sometime in April 2024, with its tank in Kingdom of the Wild still currently empty.

Note: It definitely isn't enough to confirm if any species was formerly present, but the 1986 zoo map uses a cobra as a representative for the snakes living in the Aquatics House. Whether they truly had cobras at the time, or if it was simply a placeholder, is unknown (the zoo definitely had venomous snakes at the time, with puff adders arriving in the same year).

Uncertain holdings:

Amazon sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys pardalis

This species has been replaced by the new red-bellied piranhas in Heart of the Amazon, although the signage preceding the arrival of the piranhas suggested that the catfish were off-show. As such, I do not know if they are currently in the collection.

Freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare

As with the catfish, the angelfish were moved off-show when the piranhas arrived. I am uncertain if they remain in the collection.

Present holdings:

Eastern pygmy marmoset, Cebuella niveiventris

The species returned to Colchester Zoo in 2024, with four females arriving from Chester Zoo and moving in with the golden lion tamarins. They were last held in 2016.

White-lipped tamarin, Saguinus labiatus

A female pair of this species arrived in February 2024, with one of the females subsequently replaced with a male. There is a bit of confusion as to when they were last kept - the zoo themselves say that this is the first time they have been kept in 15 years, which would place their departure in 2009. However, a number of online photographs do suggest they were at the zoo until 2013.

Red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri

After a four-year absence, a shoal of young piranhas returned to Colchester Zoo and have moved into the former angelfish and catfish aquarium in Heart of the Amazon.

Golden orfe, Leuciscus idus

A large shoal of these ornamental fish moved into the large pond in the dinosaur section in May 2024, although they are unsigned.

 

[DesertRhino150]

Zoo Layout History

This part of the thread is going to look at how different areas in the zoo have changed over time, dividing up the zoo into the seven zones that existed until at least the late 2000s. These zones are:

• The Beginning Zone (orange)
• The Aquatics Zone (blue)
• The Valley Zone (purple)
• The Lakelands (pink)
• The Kids Zone (red)
• The African Zone (yellow)
• The Heights Zone (green)

The main sources of information are zoo maps. I do not have full access to a range of maps, so some periods will lack information. It is also not helped by the fact that some maps are contradictory – I have found at least two that date to 1984-1985, but each have very different layouts. For these maps, I will simply list them as versions one and two. As well as looking at the past uses, I will mention current uses and any future use indicated from the zoo’s 2023 masterplan release.

 

[DesertRhino150]

BEGINNING ZONE

The Beginning Zone encompasses the entrance building, several play areas and enclosures that currently or will soon house six species of animal – three primates, two-toed sloths and two reptile species. It roughly corresponds to everything south and east of Stanway Hall.


Key:
1: Entrance building
2: Capuchin monkeys
3: Parrot Rock
4: Rainforest Walkthrough and Iguana Forest
5: Education Centre
6: Undercover picnic area and face painting
7: Kids Safari Play Area
8: Kalahari Capers and Kalahari Theatre
9: Off-show facilities

 

[DesertRhino150]

1. Entrance building

Past uses:

1963 – When the zoo first opened, there was no pay kiosk in the zoo itself – instead visitors paid first from their cars at the zoo gates before parking. The land occupied by the entrance building was occupied by two cages. The left-side one was home to Andean condors and the right-side one to lar gibbons.

1972 – The 1972 map shows that the former lar gibbon cage was now home to striped hyaenas. The second cage was not labelled at all, with instead an ice cream and soft drink stand shown in this area.

First 1984-85 – This map shows no enclosures here at all, with only toilets mentioned in this area.

Second 1985 – The second map of this time still shows two animal enclosures, with the left-hand cage housing Hamadryas baboons, and the right one home to lemurs. This is the last record I can personally find for animals being kept in this area.

1991 and 1994 – The maps now show a pedestrian entrance here, but there was no kind of entrance building at this time.

1997 – In 1997, a new entrance building was created, partly to relieve traffic on the main road approaching the zoo from cars queuing at the pay booths.

Post-1997 – As well as containing the customer paying entrance, this building contained a toilet block and two different shops – the more general gift shop and the Acacia Shop where sculptures were sold. In 2019, the entire building was renovated, with the entrance now moving to the right-hand-end of the building, covering what was once the parrot show marquee, and much of the remaining area now devoted to a single larger combined shop.

Current use: Contains all visitor entrance, guest services, the gift shop and a toilet block.

Future use: The zoo’s future masterplan still labels this building as the main zoo entrance, even though the car park is apparently moving some distance away.

 

[DesertRhino150]

2. Capuchin monkeys

Past uses:

1963 – On opening, this area had two paddocks. Only one is labelled on the map, as being home to sarus cranes.

1966-67 – This was the time that the zoo’s Monkey House opened in this area. Over the years, this house was home to no fewer than fifteen or sixteen species of primate, with the true number likely to be higher. At around the time it opened, it was home to chimpanzees, gibbons, mandrills, Hamadryas baboons, the Sulawesi crested, moor and lion-tailed macaques, talapoins, the Syke’s, De Brazza’s, Hamlyn’s and moustached guenons, black spider monkeys and woolly monkeys.

First 1984-85 – This map labels the area as being home exclusively to orangutans.

Second 1985 – This map shows the Monkey House still being present at the area. It included mandrills alongside other unidentified monkeys, as well as orangutans.

1991 – This map shows only the orangutans living here.

1994 – By now, the map shows both orangutans and lar gibbons living here. At this time, it was possible to see both ape species in their indoor enclosures.

1998 – At this time, the gibbon and orangutan area were named Wilds of Asia, part of a wider and disjunct themed area that also included part of the Heights Zone.

2008 – The orangutans and gibbons remained in this area until this year. The orangutans were moved to what is now called Rajang’s Forest, the lar gibbons left the collection and the indoor areas were permanently closed. The map mentions that a South American display was to be built on the site, and due to open in 2009.

2009 – This map still mentions a tropical South American exhibit, except that work was now going to commence in 2010. The plans were impressive, and would have involved the old orangutan and gibbon enclosures, plus Parrot Rock and the parrot display marquee, all being demolished and replaced with a South American Tropical House. The centrepiece of this house was to be the Cuban crocodile, including a pool with an underwater tunnel. It was also to include a new capuchin monkey enclosure, as well as tamarins, snakes, lizards and free-flying birds. This plan was pursued until at least 2013, when designs were drawn up by the now seemingly defunct Lionhouse Zoo Architects group. However, the plans seemed to falter and never went anywhere.

2010 – While the tropical exhibit was being planned, the old orangutan cage became home to birds, with this year’s map showing yellow-billed storks. As well as these birds, there were definitely white storks kept in here and, for a brief period in this year, the only elegant crested tinamou in the UK at the time. The old gibbon cage was a temporary home to scarlet ibis. In that same year, all the birds in the old orangutan cage left the collection, and the scarlet ibis moved elsewhere in the zoo. This was to accommodate the arrival of pairs of sun bear and pileated gibbon.

2011 – At this time, the pileated gibbons moved out of the old gibbon cage to their new enclosure at what is now River’s Edge.

2014 – This was the year that the sun bears moved to their new enclosure in Bears of the Rising Sun, leaving their enclosure free to be used by the zoo’s breeding troop of buffy-headed capuchin monkeys.

2014 to present day – While the capuchins occupied the bear enclosure solidly throughout the intervening years, the gibbon cage was used as a holding area for primates either arriving in, departing from or moving within the collection, including Colombian black spider monkeys, Barbary macaques and L’Hoest’s guenons.

Current use: The enclosure is currently empty of animals and closed for redevelopment. The planned space will, at the very least, combine the two old enclosures into one larger space, while also providing a new visitor viewing area and a view into an animal training area. The buffy-headed capuchins will return to be the inhabitants of this new enclosure.

Future use: The zoo’s masterplan seemed to suggest that this area will be demolished, in place for a new facility called the ‘Orientation Centre’. Whether that will change with the renovation of the capuchin monkey enclosure has not been revealed.

For those interested in seeing what the old plans for the tropical house could have looked like, here are the instructions:

1. Go to this link for the Colchester planning office: Colchester City Council
2. Enter the application number ‘081166’ into the search bar
3. Select the lower of the two applications, dating from 2008
4. Click ‘View Documents’ at the top of the page
5. Click the middle document, which shows the drawings of the approved plans
6. Wonder how different the zoo could have been if such plans had come to pass

This news article from 2008 also gives some detail about the formerly planned tropical exhibit:
Zoo unveils crocodile enclosure plan

 

[DesertRhino150]

3. Parrot Rock

Past uses:

1963 – The first zoo map seems to indicate that this area was used for coach parking.

1972 – This map also shows coach parking in this area, possibly with several enclosures bordering this area – the main cage was a long one home to gibbons, while the site of the Parrot Theatre had cages for coatis and cheetahs.

First 1984-1985 – On this map, there seems to be an unlabelled enclosure. By this time the Parrot Show was in existence.

Second 1985 – This map still shows coach parking in the area.

1991 – This is the first reference I can find suggesting that parrots now lived in the area. Throughout the time it remained open as an exhibit, this area housed flight-restricted scarlet, green-winged, blue-and-yellow and hybrid macaws, as well as possibly cockatoos. At this time, the marquee next door to the Parrot Rock enclosure had both the parrot show and snake handling.

2007 – By this time, the parrot display marquee had closed down and was now blocked off, remaining that way until the site was used for part of the new entrance complex in 2019.

2013 or 2014 – It was around this time that the parrots moved out of this enclosure, which has stood empty ever since.

Current use: This enclosure is closed off and will probably be part of the new development for the capuchin monkeys.

Future use: The zoo’s masterplan seemed to suggest that this area would also be demolished for the ‘Orientation Centre’, but obviously the new redevelopment throws this potential change up in the air.

 

[DesertRhino150]

4. Rainforest Walkthrough and Iguana Forest

Past uses:

First 1963 – When the zoo first opened, this whole area was part of what was called the Exotic Bird House on the original map. There is no indication as to exactly what birds lived here, although there was a large collection of macaws present at the zoo’s opening.

Second 1963 – The alternative map from the opening year labels the building here as the Parrot House, seemingly confirming that the main birds kept in this section were the parrots.

1972 – By this stage, the bird house had been replaced with a single large building that combined the zoo’s gift shop, a free exhibition centre and a natural history centre – this contained a mixture of dead animal specimens, fossils and a ragtag collection of human objects.

First 1984-85 – This map shows this area being occupied by aviaries, without mentioning the bird species that inhabit them.

Second 1985 – Around this time, the zoo map shows the area as having a hornbill aviary (the image on the map resembles a great hornbill) as well as a rose and water garden.

1991 – This map shows that this area now had a row of cages, labelled as being home to marmosets, with the largest rightmost cage housing Southern ground hornbills. It was possible to get behind this row of cages throughout their existence, enabling you to look in from both sides. Behind the aviaries was a small formal pond with goldfish and some gardens. By this time, the area between these aviaries and the orangutan enclosure was occupied by a small shop known as the Orang Kiosk.

1994 – The map for this year is very similar to that from 1991. The cage row was home to marmosets, tamarins and ground hornbills, while the Orang Kiosk was still standing in the area as well.

1998 – This year, the aviary row is labelled as a display called Birds of Australasia – around this time, some birds that could have fit into such a display include lories and lorikeets, cockatoos, kookaburras and kea, although I cannot personally remember the exact set of inhabitants. By this stage, the Orang Kiosk had been replaced with a small exhibit called Rain Forest Life – it was a small building with a single curved path running through it – the inside of the curve had an all-indoor enclosure, while the outer edge of the curve was an indoor enclosure attached to an outdoor enclosure. This year, the map labels this building as housing silvery marmosets and golden tegu lizards.

1999-2000 – This map shows that the Australasia theming for the aviaries has been done away with, with the row of cages now labelled just as aviaries. Rainforest Life still stands in the area, but this time there is no indication of what lived here – working off of memory, I seem to remember tortoises of some kind living in the indoor enclosure at one stage, and the only animal I remember from the larger outdoor enclosure was a crowned crane.

2003 – The map for this year shows that the aviary row was home to five different species – the hamerkop, white-cheeked turaco, laughing kookaburra, red-billed blue magpie and, in the rightmost enclosure formerly for the ground hornbills, the kea. Rainforest Life was labelled as being home to silvery marmosets and Desmarest’s hutia.

2007 – Sometime between 2003 and this year, the aviary row and Rainforest Life were demolished. This is the year that Iguana Forest opened, housing the green iguanas and yellow-footed tortoises that still live there today. Since its opening, the exhibit has not only held these two species, but also both yellow-margined and Eastern box turtles, Philippine sailfin lizard and the last of the lesser Malayan chevrotains.

2008 – This was the year that the Rainforest Walkthrough opened – since this time, it has housed no fewer than ten species. As well as the titis, lion tamarins and sloths that inhabit the enclosure today, it has definitely also been home to silvery and Geoffroy’s marmosets, white-lipped tamarins, Chaco chachalaca and, for a brief period in 2010, one of the indoor enclosures served as a temporary holding area for, at different times, the Victoria crowned pigeons, red-billed blue magpies and Montserrat oriole.

Current use: A row of three indoor enclosures home to coppery titi monkeys, golden-headed lion tamarins and Linne’s two-toed sloth, an indoor walkthrough enclosure home to green iguanas and a yellow-footed tortoise, and an outdoor walkthrough enclosure that can be used by all five species.

Future use: Without full labelling of the masterplan, it is difficult to tell what the plan is for this area, but it is possible that the exhibit will remain in place.

 

[speedycheese]

I am loving the incite into the former zones. Reminding me of how the zoo was when I began to visit in the early 2000s. There is definitely nostalgia in the way the zoo was formally divided, something that I in a way miss.

 

[DesertRhino150]

5. Education Centre

Past uses:

1963 to 1972 – Throughout this time, the map seems to indicate that this area was part of the same section as the Iguana Forest and Rainforest Walkthrough section – it seems that the Exotic Bird or Parrot House and the gift shop and exhibition and natural history centre extended into this area.

First 1984-85 – By this time, the Education Centre had been turned into the Reptile House and the building next to it was the zoo’s Gift Shop. There was a pathway between the two buildings, that enabled visitors to cross the access road to reach either All Saints Church or the amusements that were on the other side at the time. There is no indication as to exactly what reptiles inhabited the house at this time.

Second 1985 – This map shows the same layout at the other map from around this time. The Reptile House is represented on the map by a green lizard-like animal that could well be an iguana.

1991 – This map still shows the Reptile House, Oasis Gift Shop and path through to the amusement arcade and All Saints Church standing in the area.

1994 – The map for this year is the same as that of 1991. The map mentions that the Reptile Encounter moves from the marquee (where the new entrance area now stands) to the Reptile House during bad weather – because the Reptile Encounter seemed to consist mostly of large constricting snakes, it is highly likely that this was where the zoo’s rock pythons lived.

1998 – By now, the area had undergone a big change. By 1996, the Reptile House had been closed and replaced with an exhibit called Desert Life, while the Oasis Gift Shop was now where a Punch and Judy show was performed. Desert Life was a simple display, entering through the right-hand door and, after walking a looped path inside the building, leaving through the left-side door. The displays were laid out as such – the right of the building had a row of several reptile tanks that housed, at various times, Central bearded dragons, Saharan spiny-tailed lizards, pancake tortoises and pine snakes, as well as possibly Indian star tortoises and East African sand boas. The narrow enclosure in the middle of the loop was home to the fennec foxes, while the two enclosures to the left of the building were home to a breeding pair of sand cats.

2007 – The next major change to Desert Life came in this year, as the fennec foxes moved out to go to their new enclosure at Lion Rock. I seem to remember them not being replaced, but otherwise the building still remained home to sand cats and reptiles.

2008 – This was the year that Desert Life closed. The sand cats and some of the reptiles left the collection, with others being moved elsewhere. The map for this year records this area as having an Activity Centre scheduled to open in 2009.

2009 – The new area, now known as the Discovery Centre, opens in this year. To the left of the access door is a bank of ten tanks. Over the years, this building housed several reptiles and amphibians, plus the majority of the zoo’s invertebrate collection – they included green anole, royal python, corn snake, young Madagascar tree boas, Oriental fire-bellied and bony-headed toads, blue poison-dart frogs, ornate horned frog, locusts, hissing cockroaches, three species of stick insect, four species of beetle, assassin bugs, six species of tarantula, imperial scorpion and giant land snail – obviously not all simultaneously. At this time, the building also had a classroom, a handling area for bugs and, at a later stage in its public usage, a games area for younger children.

2021 – This year, perhaps as a response to the pandemic, the Discovery Centre was closed. Almost all of its inhabitants left the collection.

2023 – This year, the building was repurposed as the Education Centre, which is restricted only for use by school groups.

Current use: An indoor education facility that is closed to the general public and only used for school groups. It houses no animal species. The neighbouring building is used for seasonal events such as a Santa’s Grotto around Christmas.

Future use: The future masterplan gives no indication about what is due to happen in this area.

 

[CrashMegaraptor]

BTW, there is a small omission I noticed for the Invertebrates section - at one point, there was a Goliath Birdeater (presumably T blondi) in the Kingdom of the Wild section. Her name was Matilda and she lived there for a while after the building opened before being replaced by the King Baboon.

 

[DesertRhino150]

6. Undercover picnic area and face painting

Past uses:

First 1963 – The first map of Colchester shows that this area was roughly the location of the Small Mammal House; unfortunately, it is impossible to tell exactly what lived here, as just across the courtyard was the similarly-named Mammal House.

Second 1963 – The other map from this time labels the building as the Tropical House, although again it is impossible to tell exactly what lived here.

1972 – This map records this area as being a building that was partly a Tropical Bird House and also home to lemurs. While the exact bird species that lived here are unknown, the guidebook at the time suggests the lemur species present was the ring-tailed.

First 1984-85 – This map shows there was nothing present here at this time.

Second 1985 – This other map shows this area as having a row of aviaries – the label on this map also labels toucans as living in this area.

1991 – This map shows this area as having two separate enclosures for lemurs, with the larger right-hand enclosure for ring-tailed lemurs and the smaller left-hand one for black-and-white ruffed lemurs.

1994 – While the ring-tailed lemurs remained in their 1991 enclosure at this time, the ruffed lemurs had moved to a new enclosure and in turn been replaced by an unidentified species of coati.

1998 – By now, the larger animals had left the enclosures and the map records one of them as being home to golden-headed lion tamarins. The other part of this section is labelled on the map as a Primate Nursery – I cannot find what species lived in here.

1999-2000 – The following year, the Primate Nursery has been removed and the entire area is now just home to the golden-headed lion tamarins.

2003 – This map shows the area was still home to the golden-headed lion tamarins.

2007 – By this year, the cages no longer existed. Since then, it has primarily been used as a picnic area, but in the recent past the area beneath the canopy was seasonally fenced off and used to house domestic reindeer during the Christmas period.

Current use: A small number of picnic benches beneath an overhead canopy, plus a small adjacent building for face painting.

Future use: The future masterplan gives no indication about what is due to happen in this area.

 

[DesertRhino150]

I will just add it here, but looking further, I think the map I have labelled as 'First 1984-85' is actually from sometime later - almost certainly from no earlier than 1986. I made the mistake because it is labelled as being from that time on the zoo's own Twitter account.

I will still refer to the map as such to avoid further confusion.