Chester Zoo News from visits 2012

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SMR, that was a good post.. As a pretty recent Chester Zoo member and enthusiast I never got the chance to meet Fred Williams but I have read a little about him. My thoughts are with all at the zoo who knew him.

I hope his mark on the zoo will remain for many years to come in his memory.
 
I met Fred Williams in 1989, he was a very nice person.

Went to Chester for a brief visit today, the kingfishers are now living with the writhe-billed hornbill.

Saw the baby tapir outside.

The hyrax were doing what hyrax always seem to be doing whenever I see them i.e. nothing.

Hoped to identify Javan Rhino's mystery fish, I saw it and it has much less white on the head now, I'm still no wiser as to what it is. My plan to ask one of the staff failed, I couldn't find anyone.

Spirit of the Jaguar would be better if there were some animals on view.

Someone was working on the Amphibian Pod in the Tropical Realm, I think it looks nice where it is. Had to watch where I put my feet on the ramp by the hornbills, to avoid squashing Pekin Robins and Java Sparrows.

One of the crowned pigeons was in the Galapagos tortoise enclosure but I couldn't get a picture of both species together.
 
bongorob said:
Went to Chester for a brief visit today, the kingfishers are now living with the writhe-billed hornbill.
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Did you see the kingfishers in the hornbill aviary? I ask because the sign for them was on the hornbill aviary yesterday but we saw both kingfishers in the old crocodile pool with the ducks :)
 
The kingfisher was win with the ducks today, also saw all 4 jags and the Ants, and the few fish in the new tank.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Did you see the kingfishers in the hornbill aviary? I ask because the sign for them was on the hornbill aviary yesterday but we saw both kingfishers in the old crocodile pool with the ducks :)
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No I didn't, I was walking towards the ducks via the lower level aviaries when I noticed the label on the hornbill aviary. I was pressed for time so I didn't look for any kingfishers either there or with the ducks. I did see the ducks side by side on a log over the water. I just assumed that they had been moved.

I was only in the zoo from 10.45 until 12.30, my visit was spontaneous. I had not planned to go to the zoo yesterday. My reasons for visiting were to see Spirit of the Jaguar and to see the unidentified fish. I didn't even look at the bongos.
 
SMR said:
We shouldn't just let the news of Fred Williams' death pass without comment. He played a hugely important role in the zoo and was far more than just the "zoo keeper" he's described as in the article.

He built many of the zoo's enclosures as it rapidly expanded - developing new techniques of building along the way - and a number of the buildings that still stand today. He travelled the world with his wife June (George Mottershead's younger daughter) collecting animals and observing their behaviour in the wild.

He had an active retirement and along with his wife, continued to play a role in the zoo's development almost right up to the present day. He'll be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.
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I am quite saddened that Chester Zoo has not made an official comment regarding Fred Williams' death on its Facebook page..
 
On wednesday there where around 5 or 6 ish catfish/algae eating fish, all looked like same species, just different sizes/ages
 
Few quick snippets from a visit today,a female Asian Tree Toad was in with the males in with the Horned Dragons in The Realm of the Red Ape.Work was been done in the old Red Bird of Paradise aviarys but no clue as to what they were doing.Finally the zoo no longer has any Red and Yellow Barbets in the collection,the young Brown-breasted Barbets were being held in that aviary in the Tropical Realm.
 
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zoogiraffe said:
Few quick snippets from a visit today,a female Asian Tree Toad was in with the males in with the Horned Dragons in The Realm of the Red Ape.Work was been done in the old Red Bird of Paradise aviarys but no clue as to what they were doing.Finally no zoo no longer has any Red and Yellow Barbets in the collection,the young Brown-breasted Barbets were being held in that aviary in the Tropical Realm.
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A shame about the red and yellow barbets- When you say no zoo do you mean the zoo or no zoo actually has them?
 
Finally no zoo no longer has any Red and Yellow Barbets in the collection,the young Brown-breasted Barbets were being held in that aviary in the Tropical Realm.


have they gone from the Tsavo aviary as well?
 
Just remembered the zoo now has a pair of Red-billed Curassow back on-show in the same Aviary as they were previously.
 
I'm ever so curious about these mystery fish now! What do they look like and why does nobody know what they are?!
 
Possibly Pterygoplichthys Pardalis, but a lot of south American sucker fish look simular
 
Are these the fish in the the new Jag tank? If so they are Bristlenose Catfish (Hemiancistrus dolichopterus).
 
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