Chester Zoo spectacled bears at Chester.

yorik said:
it is apparent that many of the contributers to the site are very unfamiliar with EAZA breeding programmes, their management, strictly applied rules and how much planning and organisation there is in such a species as Spectacled Bears..... This applies to all EEP managed species.

At one time the recommendation was to send the two paris born twin females to Chester for breeding and to keep the two Zurich born females to breed at South Lakes. However the plan was changed and another solution for Chester was made.

I have been concerned in my first visits to the site that many comments are made that dont have sound or factual base.... would assist the enthusiasts who sometimes are way out in the guess work and concepts about zoos.
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1. I think most of us on this Forum are familiar in varying degree with the workings of the EEP and how decisions are reached regarding transfers and pairings of animals for breeding. Most of us are fully aware too that such decisions are not made by the individual zoos but by studbook co-ordinators and others.

2. Do you know why the plan was changed? As a result Chester only had the two male bears for quite a long period while South Lakes had/have all four females ? I had presumed two of them would be transferred to Chester in due course but it didn't happen.

3.Many of us do not have easy access to the workings of the EEP. Therefore comments are bound not always to have sound or factual basis, and much of what is discussed is necessarily guess work- but at least to me that's largely why there's a forum at all.... :)
 
If the female is pregnant she and the cubs will be housed at the rear of the enclosure, leaving the male on show. From her behaviour it is likely that she is.
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Is she confirmed as being pregnant yet (or at least are keepers still of the opinion that she is)?
 
"the enclosure there is unique as it is reported to have a pair of tapir, many agoutis, otters and coatis mixed with the five bears and all are breeding as a report was done last year for a study on bears behaviour and the stimulus was noted as being excellent for the mental welfare of the bears."

And for the tapirs??
 
I wouldn't think it would be good for them either. Hasn't one of the Tapirs been killed?
 
Newzooboy said:
"the enclosure there is unique as it is reported to have a pair of tapir, many agoutis, otters and coatis mixed with the five bears and all are breeding as a report was done last year for a study on bears behaviour and the stimulus was noted as being excellent for the mental welfare of the bears."

And for the tapirs??
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Shouldn't this be in the South Lakes thread?
 
Spectacled Bears at South Lakes

This site has its uninformed members and , some who speculate and even spread rumours. Please keep your comments to fact and not fiction and if you have a point of view please try to make one with a qualified reasoned comment and not one of total inexperience or plain ignorance. The Tapirs in this enclosure have been very well settled and extremely well stimulated and have been mating regularly. There has only been positive interactions and increased quality of life from the mixing of species. No deaths have happened in this facility and comments such as have been made are completely uncalled for and show a disrespect for the keeping staff at South Lakes who have an excellent record of extremely innovative mixed exhibiting and enrichments ideas over many years.
By the way there are 4 female Andean Bears in this facility and 2 of these animals are pregnant as recommended by the EEP. I for one have seen this exhibit develop and am constantly enthralled by its originality and success. I suppose it should be in a South Lakes Thread...if there was one. As I cant find one. regards to all.
 
Yorik, you have to remember that this site is also for the use of 'zoo-fans' who will of course be less informed than zoo professionals, so dismissing their comments as "plain ignorance", is actually rather ignorant of yourself. Zoofans are entitled to hold an opinion on any particular facility either from visits or publicity (good or bad) and this forum is a good place to air those opinions.

Regarding deaths in the S.American exhibit, some posters have made a completely understandable point, especially if there was a rumour of a death, what with tapirs being in an exhibit with a species which has been known to attack exhibit-mates in the past (see Jersey Zoo).

Another thing to consider about South Lakes is that it has had a shaky history to say the least, so some members on these forums (I assume) will take the past into consideration when reading a rumour or commenting on a story...
 
Comments?

I take your point on board that many zoo fans comment, but still it is unfair to any zoo, organisation or company to make uninformed and general remarks that do not have substantive factual basis. Zoo fans should be careful just as any other person not to infringe reason and fairness, after all how would these people like it if they, their families or management of animals is unfairly criticized in a public domain without care of the effects on others. As your little comment at the end there...What shaky history?? So a White Rhino had to be shot after critically injuring itself after an unexpected panic attack in 1997. this was fully investigated and no one at South Lakes was found to be at fault...in fact the EEP allocated two more animals the next year in full confidence. It is a sad comment to make considering the parks fantastic reputation amongst some eminent scientific observers and that many of the ideas have been replicated in many zoos in the past years. To achieve so many things and contribute so much to in situ conservation is a thing for the employees and keepers there to be massively proud of. Can you tell me about any other park that has not had a similar sad event , many much , much worse shaky histories are there for big zoos such as Chester where tragedies have taken place. I would like to hear some constructive comments here not just personalised negativity about a very successful new zoo that has in 14 years made a massive contribution to wildlife conservation. Before any of us critisise we should be careful to look at what we do ourselves to make zoos better places for animals and for the visitors to get a chance to take part in saving pour planet. Im sorry if you find my comments not easy, but maybe I am a bit older, seen more and feel more for the feelings of keepers who dedicate themselves to their animals and deserve praise and encouragement I feel strongly that petty jealousy between zoos, keepers and others are the worst enemies to zoos, not the Born Free's of this world but zoo people themselves. So keep up[ the enthusiasm , but dont just take the gossip and swallow it, find out the truth and realise that nature is an unpredictable animal and South Lakes has been very positive for the zoo community and for the public...well it had 50,000 more visitors in 2007 to take it to over 250,000 in an area with virtually no population and that tells me that I and all the others who regularly visit feel that they are getting it right and they at least see staff and animals that are extremely well looked after and using innovation and not tradition. Ending it now...but I hope we are all enthusiasts and positive ones ! cheers.
 
Thanks for the respectable reply.

I'd just like to say, that I am impressed with South Lakes' collection and many breeding successes in a relatively short time-frame. However, some management decisions have left me slightly confused (I guess these problems will be ironed out over time - see comparisons between South Lakes and Howletts).

I am probably younger than most of the people on this forum, but like you I do empathise the zoo keepers, as I hope to become one in the near-future and I know a few reasonably well...

Referring my "shaky history" comment, I meant to say the Zoo management rather than South Lakes specifically, however the David Gill discussion has been done to death...
 
yorik said:
This site has its uninformed members and , some who speculate and even spread rumours. Please keep your comments to fact and not fiction and if you have a point of view please try to make one with a qualified reasoned comment and not one of total inexperience or plain ignorance. .
By the way there are 4 female Andean Bears in this facility and 2 of these animals are pregnant as recommended by the EEP.
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You seem to take a very rigid and hostile stance over the use of this site. As I mentioned previously, its purpose is largely for the exchange of information about zoos, whether fact, rumour or fiction, and all who post on it are quite entitled to their views, that's called free speech. And as we seem in the main to be zoo enthusiasts, rather than professionals, some discussion is bound to start out as rumour/fiction until those rumours are either proved or disproved e.g by zoo professionals like yourself, and the true facts discovered.

I'm glad to hear two of the Spectacled bears at South Lakes are in cub and hope things go well for them in due course. :)
 
Can you tell us where 'Loja' came from, her age(approx) and whether she is zoobred?

Did she rear cubs in her previous home? If so it seems there's a very strong chance Chester will be able to exhibit baby bear(s) in a few months....
 
Bongorob, in one of your posts on the 6th of October in this thread, you state that the female and cubs would remain in the back of the enclosure and the male will be on-show...

Dooes this mean that we would actually not see the cubs on display, or did you mean that they would become on-show after a couple of months? I can't stand the little CCTV monitors that the zoo uses, they never work! (e.g. Chester's Red Panda one)
 
Not Bongorob, but I've seen this scenario before at various zoos. Most likely the mother and cub(s) will stay in the 'back area' until the cubs are strong and active, while the male is on show in the main area- then they will be swapped over so the public can see the cubs. Maybe the male will be allowed the main enclosure at night...

I'm presuming the main enclosure hasn't been/won't be divided in two- it would be possible as its pretty narrow at one end.
 
It was me who posted it. Pertinax your scenario would seem to be the way the zoo will do things. The enclosure can be divided if required.
 
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