Chester Zoo If you could, how would you change Chester Zoo!

Kalaw said:
On my visit in December 2021, the Tropical Realm, Monsoon Forest, and all of the walkthrough aviaries were sadly closed due to avian flu. As such, I may not have seen everything that is usually on-display, but I only saw the following:

Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) in RotRA

Ecuadorian Amazon Parrot (Amazona lilacina) in the Rare Parrot Breeding Centre.
They shared their enclosure with Elegant-crested Tinamou

Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) and
Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) in the aviaries by the chimpanzees.
The former shared with Elegant-crested Tinamou and the latter with Red-billed Curassow.
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Other than these four, the only species that is also on-show are the purple-naped lories in a small aviary near the Bali myna walkthrough aviary.
 
There are also hanging parrots in monsoon forest however I haven't seen them in there

Great green macaws are in the aviary outside tropical Realm after you leave the aye ayes this aviary used to be home to hyacinth macaws who have moved offshow

Blue throated macaws are next door to the currasows they share the enclosure with elegant crested tinamous and prior to that a few years ago they shared their enclosure with azaras agouti I can't remember The macaws sharing the enclosure with the currasows the only other bird I remember sharing with the macaws were inca Jay's with the hyacinth macaws
 
Mayki said:
Other than these four, the only species that is also on-show are the purple-naped lories in a small aviary near the Bali myna walkthrough aviary.
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Indeed - being tucked away off the main routes, I think it's the sole example in the whole of Islands of an enclosure it's possible to miss entirely!
 
hari Jones said:
this aviary used to be home to hyacinth macaws who have moved offshow
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Nope, I am reliably informed the hyacinths are no longer in the collection at all.

hari Jones said:
the only other bird I remember sharing with the macaws were inca Jay's with the hyacinth macaws
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...and the Inca jays were never mixed with the hyacinth macaws :p I don't recall if it was the blue-throated macaws or the curassows that shared with the jays.
 
I think the same happened at Folly Farm, they had a species of Lorikeet and Lory both in Tropical Trails but I guess they were not on show in there for long. I only saw them the once.
 
hari Jones said:
same here but what happened to the chattering lorys who lived where the purple naped are now have they moved offshow or out of the collection or have they died out
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The Chattering Lories were down to two males. They died in 2021, A keeper told me a few years ago the zoo were bring in new ones. Guess the plan changed. I think it was the same keeper who told me Chester was getting Iris Lorikeets. That plan must have changed as well.
 
Another way I would change chester would be to bring back the Red birds of paradise however that will probably never happen
 
They had a lot of bad luck with those. They bred twice, but only male chicks. The breeding female died and was replaced. Sadly the second female was infertile.

King Bird of Paradise was originally to go into the Bali aviary, I can't remember why this plan was changed.

I must have seen the birds of paradise in the 1960s but can't remember. I did see Wilson's (1973) and Red (1976) at Chester.,
 
Also I would move the cotton-top tamarins to somewhere where we can actually see them because so far I haven't seen them once on the old capuchin island has anyone else seen them yet
And if they were to move there are 2 enclosure options for them

1. The obvious one miniature monkeys they could potentially live with the pied tamarins or the Marmosets and the golden headed lion and the emperor tamarin
2. The current gentle lemur enclosure on the canal islands opposite the camels and onagers because that's where they were previously and the gentle lemurs moved on the former capuchin island and whenever I visited when they showed quite well on there they could swap the cotton tops and the gentle lemurs around and move the lemurs to where the tamrins are now
 
I'm sure the jokes been done already, but first thing I'd do is move the whole thing to Hampshire.

One day (or two), I will get to visit, when the stars align!
 
I would love a good old fashioned reptile house with multiple snake and lizard species, preferably some venomous snakes.

I feel the UK really lacks a really good reptile house. Cotswolds is nice, London is okay, but seems to be going the wrong way, and nowhere else seems that really committed in showcasing reptiles. I know Chester have a fair few bits scattered around and a lot off show, but I just wish someone would build a massive reptile house, with some cracking big vivs with exciting species and have some reptile walkthroughs as well.
 
Yes the only venomous snakes I'm aware of that are onshow are the gaboon vipers in the okapi House

The adders which I saw for the 1st time on my last visit next door to the sand lizards

And the white lipped Komodo island pit viper in RORA

Are there any offshow that I need to be aware of
 
hari Jones said:
Yes the only venomous snakes I'm aware of that are onshow are the gaboon vipers in the okapi House

The adders which I saw for the 1st time on my last visit next door to the sand lizards

And the white lipped Komodo island pit viper in RORA

Are there any offshow that I need to be aware of
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Only a Cobra that I can think of.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
I would love a good old fashioned reptile house with multiple snake and lizard species, preferably some venomous snakes.

I feel the UK really lacks a really good reptile house. Cotswolds is nice, London is okay, but seems to be going the wrong way, and nowhere else seems that really committed in showcasing reptiles. I know Chester have a fair few bits scattered around and a lot off show, but I just wish someone would build a massive reptile house, with some cracking big vivs with exciting species and have some reptile walkthroughs as well.
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Of course, Bristol deserves a mention however it will be gone very shortly unfortunately.
hari Jones said:
Yes the only venomous snakes I'm aware of that are onshow are the gaboon vipers in the okapi House

The adders which I saw for the 1st time on my last visit next door to the sand lizards

And the white lipped Komodo island pit viper in RORA

Are there any offshow that I need to be aware of
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Are the mangrove snakes no longer on show?
 
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