Chester Zoo EAZA Ape Campaign Special Event - Saturday 19th February 2011

zoogiraffe said:
Nope still not an Ape and Primate fan,was worth going if only to see the behind the scences bit of the Apes and Primates,and to see the zoo from the top of the Realm of the Red Ape house!!
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That was certainly a highlight - though looking down from the top certainly didn't do anything for my fear of heights :eek:.

My favourite part of the day though was likely the old orang-house, and finally having some pictures of it :)
 
I would of loved to have been able to go as it seems like it was another fantastic day. I am not an primate person per say other then the Miniatures and Lemurs but would of been nice to see around the houses. However I could not be there due to working the night before and being full of cold over the weekend. Here's to hoping for the next one :) .
 
Javan Rhino said:
A question for those who participated in the event to help the zoo and the campaign, but had no massive interest in primates beforehand - did the day change how you see the animals? Like I said in an earlier post, my dislike of chimpanzees subsided somewhat after seeing all of the behind the scenes and hearing stories about them.
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I'm totally primate obsessed anyway, but meeting the orangs and chimps "close up" like that has just made me more obsessed :-)
Seeing them from the public viewing is amazing anyway, but being behind the scenes is just majical. Even being on top of RotRA was fab and I'm terrified of heights (Maz has since told me I turned grey when I was up there! And I was hodling on the railing for dear life).
 
MonkeyGirl86 said:
I'm totally primate obsessed anyway, but meeting the orangs and chimps "close up" like that has just made me more obsessed :-)
Seeing them from the public viewing is amazing anyway, but being behind the scenes is just majical. Even being on top of RotRA was fab and I'm terrified of heights (Maz has since told me I turned grey when I was up there! And I was hodling on the railing for dear life).
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hehe, I don't think I was that bad once I was used to being up there, was brave enough to kneel/sit myself on the walkway and get photos down into the enclosure :)
 
Yep I was lucky, or maybe pushy enough to be very close to Boris, Nicky and Heidi (sorry if I've missed anyone) checking us out, keeping a respectful distance to maintain ownership of all my digits. There's no better raspberry than a Boris raspberry!

A lot of people don't seem to like chimps, maybe because they remind us too much of ourselves, and not always the best side of ourselves. The more I learn to recognise them as individuals the more I enjoy watching them, seeing their interactions, working out the complex relationships. Chester has a really good, large, multi-generational group. I realise this is completely opposite to other people's interest in anonymous animals of rare species but I don't think it is an inferior way to experience zoos.
 
OrangePerson said:
I realise this is completely opposite to other people's interest in anonymous animals of rare species but I don't think it is an inferior way to experience zoos.
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Everybody experiences zoos differently. I am partial to a rare species (especially at zoos I don't visit that often) and don't go for the personal touch. However, at Chester there are animals I have attachments to, namely Puluh (and the other Sumatrans), Nayan, the Marwell Jags, Dicky, Stuma and Tula. I try and see these every time I go and most of the time I do.
 
I think the thing that surprised and pleased me most was being able to hear the primates. Not unusual to hear the chimps of course, and I suppose I should have expected that JC, the male mandrill, would make warning noises when we were watching his group from the wrong side. But as Bele has said already, it was almost eerie to hear Tuan's call (before we could see him) and it was wonderful to hear the infant orang whimper when its mother moved off.
I confess that primates are at the top of my list of favourites, followed by the oddballs - particularly oddball fishes: fortunately for me, Chester is pretty good for both.

Alan
 
SMR said:
I'm tempted not to say so that you come with us next time! ;)

For example, the gorilla dens were to either side of the indoor areas, so to access the first, you go in through the door that's to the right of the waterfall. There's a small corridor and kitchen, then an "old-fashioned" set of iron bars set into the sandstone wall, behind which is one of the beds. They were small, with just enough room for a raised platform and raceway to the indoor area, but no smaller than one would expect for the era.
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Unfortunately I live so far away I only manage visit to Chester nowadays every 3/4 years, generally in summer.;)

Thanks for the info. I've never seen the dens but have been in that kitchen area-many years ago now- there was a sort of pipe feeding-hole in the wall and I was warned to keep away from it as 'Mukisi' was on the other side and could reach through and grab!

I also have vaguer memories of going 'behind' in the old Ape(orangutan) Building about the same time- there were sleeping dens along the side or underneath the public walkway? I never actually saw where the Chimps & Lowland Gorillas were kept 'behind' in the Tropical House but you could certainly hear the Chimps in there.
 
OrangePerson said:
Chester has a really good, large, multi-generational group.
Chester's is still the 'best' and by far the most natural group in UK IMO. Monkeyworld's are good too but contain mostly humanised and unrelated animals- credit to MonkeyWorld for successfully integrating them together into these groups though. Edinburgh's is coming along too now.
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OK - for my own peace of mind I managed to solve my confusion over the orang paintings from Saturday.
I thought the broad stroked one that was sold first was done with fingers (when it was actually done with a brush) and the second one with much narrow strokes was done with a brush (when it was done with fingers) - it was actually the other way round all along but the artists were correct! so now it's all much clearer! Apologies for the confusion.
 
Hmph, was hoping that the publicity pic would be on there, never mind. Mind you, I ususally have an awful expression on my face when a picture is taken, so maybe it's for the best :)
 
AgileGibbon said:
Hmph, was hoping that the publicity pic would be on there, never mind. Mind you, I ususally have an awful expression on my face when a picture is taken, so maybe it's for the best :)
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I'm sure it will be in the Summer edition of Z (members and adopters magazine)
 
Nisha said:
I'm sure it will be in the Summer edition of Z (members and adopters magazine)
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That seems likely - I'm sure in time we will see it :)

One thing that threw me was that there was no press release on facebook - in my experience any news on the website has had a press release on the social networks (at least facebook) to go with it.

Also, amazing that the day nearly raised £1,000. A great kick start to the campaign :)
 
Hehe, for once - no silly expression from me!
I like how the filename is 'group-of-chester-zoo-enthusiasts' lol
 
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