Paulkarli08
Well-Known Member
Sorry, the old male was called Carlos!
Chester Zoo My Chester Zoo Visits
- Thread starter Indlovu
- Start date
I'm pretty sure the current Jaguars are as follows:
Savannah:
Salvador
Sophia
Rainforest:
Pele
Outdoor Waterfall:
Wanetta
Coral
Salvador and Sophia are a pair, and Coral is the son of Pele and Wanetta. None of the Jaguars at Chester breed (Salvador, Sophia owing to ill health I believe, Pele too old, Coral had the snip), although Salvador and Sophia once bred but the cubs passed away.
EDIT: Paulkari08, seen your post now
Savannah:
Salvador
Sophia
Rainforest:
Pele
Outdoor Waterfall:
Wanetta
Coral
Salvador and Sophia are a pair, and Coral is the son of Pele and Wanetta. None of the Jaguars at Chester breed (Salvador, Sophia owing to ill health I believe, Pele too old, Coral had the snip), although Salvador and Sophia once bred but the cubs passed away.
EDIT: Paulkari08, seen your post now
chesterfan
Active Member
I hope at some point in the future that Chester will have a breeding pair or two. I think Spirit is an amazing exhibit, and am I right in thinking Chester has the stud book for Jaguars?
I would love to see this. I would imagine that Spirit is truly one of the world-class exhibits that Chester boasts, it is such a shame that they haven't had any successful births there since it opened (yet I think they did in the old cat house, which is ironic as I remember the old cat facilities as rather cramped and plain.
chesterfan
Active Member
I love Spirit...I think the indoor enclosures are fantastic. I don't like the outdoor perimeter fencing though...think it would have been better if the outdoors was walled, with several viewing windows and maybe even meshed overhead as this would get visitors much closer (I've seen jaguars like this before and it offers incredible viewing). However, I agree it is a world class exhibit, just wish outside was as amazimg as inside.
I'm not sure what the long term plans are for breeding again. I am pretty sure there is nothing in the immediate pipeline but I would assume that at some point in the future there must be a desire. Chester does such great work in the field though so although nothing happening in the zoo they are still making a geat contribution.
The old cat house was a huge breeding success - though can't remember Jaguars in there but leopards, though yes by today's standards it was very small!. I remember hearing years ago why this was such an incredible exhibit for breeding. Basically, the inner corridor and keeper area was right in the middle between the male and females, so the keepers could hear the cats constantly calling and could tell when they were receptive to being introduced to eachother.
I would love to see some smaller cats back in the collection. I think it has been discussed on here before....I'm sure it's on the cards at some point in the near future...but not sure where they would go..
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
They didn`t breed them in the old cat house as they only held 2 males that came from Kilverstone when that collection closed it doors to the public,they may have breed them in what used to be the old Jaguar enclosure`s along side the old Cat House if I`m right these enclosure`s would have been some where near to the path along side the crazy golf course.
Ahhh right, it is highly possible that they haven't had any births, but I seem to remember somebody on here saying something along the lines of 'there have been no successful births since Spirit opened' instead of none at all.
As for bringing small cats to the collection, that would be a dream come true. I think Clouded Leopards, Caracals, Jaguarundi and Ocelots or Margay would be good, not necessarily placed together either (Jaguarundi in Cloud Forest, Ocelot/Margay near Spirit, C. Leopards near Realm of the Red Ape and Caracals either near Tsavo or Asian Plains.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
@ Javan Rhino I give up!
Did you actually read my reply or just post because if you did read it you will notice I said they may have breed in the old Jaguar Enclosures,and that they did not Breed them in the OLD CAT HOUSE, idid not say they had never breed them as even though I`m old enough to remember both these exhibits I do not remember if I ever saw any cubs as I was only young when the old Jaguar enclosures were pulled down!
Did you actually read my reply or just post because if you did read it you will notice I said they may have breed in the old Jaguar Enclosures,and that they did not Breed them in the OLD CAT HOUSE, idid not say they had never breed them as even though I`m old enough to remember both these exhibits I do not remember if I ever saw any cubs as I was only young when the old Jaguar enclosures were pulled down!
I did read it, but I don't think my post came across as it meant to. I meant that it is possible they haven't bred at all since I am just loosely quoting (from memory) somebody on here. It is equally possible that they did breed in the old jaguar enclosure (I actually thought this was a part of the cat-house
) I did understand what you meant, my reply could have been worded better though 
.
That is correct.
Leopards and jaguars, perhaps not for an extended period but I have a photograph of me in front of one of the windows and a jaguar mulling over whether I'd make a tasty snack right behind. I think they were on the end of the house in one of the larger enclosures, although that's hard to confirm from the photo.
That's the reason cited in the guide books of the era.
The cat enclosures I remember were between the cat house and the monkey house, and as the cat house would be right where the conservation golf is now, that would put them in the space occupied by the moat and part of the macaque island.
Personally, and leaving aside the space and husbandry issues, one of my fondest memories of Chester is the old cat house and the area around it. Seeing all those species was a real treat, moving from one window to the next to try and spot each in turn. The small cats are something I miss in the current zoo, it's one area I'd really like to see addressed.
Fewer pigs, more cats. Buy the T-shirt.
Zoogiraffe you are right. The jaguars bred several times in the enclosures to the south of the cat house, which were built because jaguars were not suitable animals for the cat house.
The cat house did hold leopards, common, black, North Chinese and Persian, all of which bred there. The North Chinese Leopards were originally thought to have been Amur Leopards.
Jaguar enclosures 1978
http://www.zoochat.com/photo/jaguar-enclosures-chester-zoo-25-may-2779-m.jpg
SMR the enclosures you mention were for large primates, I remember Barbary macaque, mandrill, drill, lar gibbon and Hamadryas baboon.
The cat house did hold leopards, common, black, North Chinese and Persian, all of which bred there. The North Chinese Leopards were originally thought to have been Amur Leopards.
Jaguar enclosures 1978
http://www.zoochat.com/photo/jaguar-enclosures-chester-zoo-25-may-2779-m.jpg
SMR the enclosures you mention were for large primates, I remember Barbary macaque, mandrill, drill, lar gibbon and Hamadryas baboon.
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Thank you Rob! I remember enclosures (roughly) where the dik dik is now but couldn't find them labelled on a map, and I also remember big cats where the west side of the Bats Bridge is and on the site of the Fruit Bat Forest.
Do you recall the layout of those primate enclosures? Were they adjacent, without cavities between?
The jaguars were in two cages and a small house on the site of the small separate bit at the back of the current vicuna paddock (I think where the anteaters are going to go). The jaguars were separated from the cat house by a path. There was a small walled enclosure further back where the miniature monkeys are now; this held a variety of species over time most of which have slipped my mind apart from the last which were skunks.
The primate enclosures were just a block of small cages stuck together, with low stone walls and chicken wire. I think there were six altogether originally, but two were knocked into one for the barbary apes. No indoor viewing. Not very attractive really. I don't remember any other species in there apart from the ones Rob mentions.
The primate enclosures were just a block of small cages stuck together, with low stone walls and chicken wire. I think there were six altogether originally, but two were knocked into one for the barbary apes. No indoor viewing. Not very attractive really. I don't remember any other species in there apart from the ones Rob mentions.
Hey - don't pick on the pigs! I like the pigs!
Me too. Bring on the pygmy hogs...
I didn't know that, when were they there?
chesterfan
Active Member
The small cats are something I miss in the current zoo, it's one area I'd really like to see addressed.
Fewer pigs, more cats. Buy the T-shirt.
I'm with SMR on this one... would really like to see more small cats as long as they are exhibited in a great way. Have been to Howletts and Port Lympne who have a decent number numerous times but have never ever seen one!!! Chester's Servals I think could be in a more interesting exhibit. I think they could easily and cheaply go into the Tsavo area to really add an extra dimension and interest to what is becoming a great geographical zone. I reckon it will be many years until the full Natural Viosion plans come to fruition for African Savannah...until then I would like to see an acceleration of making this a fully immersive and diverse area.