Chester Zoo "Superzoo"- rumours, confirmed etc...
- Thread starter brokehalo7
- Start date
remember the last few adults were already fully mature when they came from other zoos. But I agree their lifespans were still comparatively short.
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
It's interesting, I think I just assumed any animal coming to the chester enclosure would have had a 'new lease of life' and really thrived. But the reality must be that in previous decades no collection was really keeping polar bears properly compared to some of the more progressive setups today.
and also, while Chester's enclosure was more spacious, had more swimming area and was more attractive than the others, it was still traditional.
Chester's last polar bears
I cannot remember the full story but there was quite a bit of unrest about taking on the animals from other zoos keen to offset them because of the 'anti-zoo brigade' . This was the time when there was a forced vote of confidence in the zoo's management over this and other issues - a dark period in the zoo's history .
I cannot remember the full story but there was quite a bit of unrest about taking on the animals from other zoos keen to offset them because of the 'anti-zoo brigade' . This was the time when there was a forced vote of confidence in the zoo's management over this and other issues - a dark period in the zoo's history .
Back to the Super Zoo/Natural Visions project, things are moving at last.
The first phase will be the African area
Rainforest ecosystem to be built inside giant dome at British zoo - Telegraph
The first phase will be the African area
Rainforest ecosystem to be built inside giant dome at British zoo - Telegraph
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zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Well if they are still going to use the ara that was shown for this dome when the idea was first shown to members the area to be used should be the land at the back of the Tropical Realm that used to have the Bird of Prey Avaries and the old over flow car park,but they will have to loose the Electricity Pylons first.
If I remember the African zone will be behind the current bear and oryx/zebra paddocks and will extend to the zoo's boundary with the A41. Zoogiraffe is right, the area he mentions was originally allocated for the tropical dome.We'll have to wait and see.
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zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Yep the land out to A41 was going to be used for more paddocks for species that live on Arid Grasslands.
£90 million pounds a heck of a lot of money to be found, of which i assume there will already be a fair chunk of it put by and secured for the start of the project.
At last it sounds as though Britain will have a truly world class zoological exhibit to boast of.
I am wondering when the article says chimpanzees, would this be the existing colony or could it be a troop of bonobo taking centre stage?
Will Chester be starting off with an all male group of gorilla?
If it is the current group of chimpanzee, along with the okapi moving, this will leave a large empty space around the tropical realm.
All questions i'm sure for further down the line though, but great news to hear the largest investment in any zoo, anywhere in the world is at last starting to move on.
At last it sounds as though Britain will have a truly world class zoological exhibit to boast of.
I am wondering when the article says chimpanzees, would this be the existing colony or could it be a troop of bonobo taking centre stage?
Will Chester be starting off with an all male group of gorilla?
If it is the current group of chimpanzee, along with the okapi moving, this will leave a large empty space around the tropical realm.
All questions i'm sure for further down the line though, but great news to hear the largest investment in any zoo, anywhere in the world is at last starting to move on.
With the chimps and okapi moving to the dome (and the giraffes presumably moving to the savannah zone) there is going to be a very large mass of land just south of the dome where the giraffe, okapi and chimp exhibits currently are.
I wonder what will go on this section once the dome is finished?
taun
Well-Known Member
Shows how things change, chester were going to build additional housing for Okapi where the warty pigs are now.
Maybe the area will be revamped to include the bongo's, mandrills with the congo buffalo, and red river hogs.
To be fair, it wouldn't look very ambitious if Chester had said they aim to be the 3rd biggest wildlife attraction in the UK, despite spending £90million on one "region" of the zoo and being the biggest wildlife attraction in the UK at the moment anyway...
taun
Well-Known Member
From what I gather Edinburgh and NCWP do not have funds in place and are now struggling to raise the much needed funding for these projects.
However chester have been actively seeking there funding for a few years (that I know of) through various sources. They also have a healthy bank balance (and cash flow) from studying there annually reports.
So out of the three I would put my money on chester first to actually build something and to become number one.
Isn't Chester Zoo already miles ahead of any other collection in the United Kingdom? Other than Edinburgh is there any other zoo that is even close? Please don't mention London, which is only now finally pulling itself out of the doldrums.