Dasyurid2010
Member
It is my understanding that Chester Zoo may well be acquiring tayras in the near/medium future... you heard it here first. I also believe that the curators would love a pangolin exhibit, but that is still some way off.
Chester Zoo Tayras and pangolins at Chester Zoo?!
- Thread starter Dasyurid2010
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zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
The last I heard was that the plans to bring in Tayra are on hold,but then things can change very quickly at Chester,for example the Giant Otters and Giant Anteaters both species of which were on Chesters long term plan,but arrived well before anyone in the zoo expected them to!For the record it would be about 2 years ago that I first heard that zoo was looking at getting Tayra so this isn`t really a new development for the zoo.As for Pangolin not heard that one before but then show me a serious zoonerd Senior Mammal Curator that wouldn`t want to bring in a Pangolin species,to his collection if they had the chance.
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Dasyurid2010
Member
I believe the zoo has found a 'suitable' pair of tayras, in South America, and the exhibit would be built close to the hyacinth macaws, near the SOTJ, but I don't know if that has been confirmed. I just thought I would offer it up for discussion/comments.
I believe the problem with acquiring pangolins is similar to that with Australian mammals, for example; the exporting countries simply do not want to export them. Personally, I would love to see them added to the collection, possibly in RORA, show-casing the horrendous trade in wildlife species out of that region. A good, palatable diet has been recently been developed for different species of pangolin at San Diego and Taipei Zoos so I don't think they are considered as difficult to maintain in captivity as they once were. Fingers crossed...
I believe the problem with acquiring pangolins is similar to that with Australian mammals, for example; the exporting countries simply do not want to export them. Personally, I would love to see them added to the collection, possibly in RORA, show-casing the horrendous trade in wildlife species out of that region. A good, palatable diet has been recently been developed for different species of pangolin at San Diego and Taipei Zoos so I don't think they are considered as difficult to maintain in captivity as they once were. Fingers crossed...
I've ben to taipei Zoo recently and I've spoken tot he Pangolin keeper also. Altough Taipei is keeping Chinese pangolins since many years, they are still working on their diet and they still far awy for a really sucessful care of them, whicjh means, to berd them to get a healthy, self reproducing population. They are far awy from that, this year, two wekes before my visit, they had the first birth of a chinese pangolin ever !
So pangalions will be a really, really hard to keep species in zoos. Thats why most zoos don don't want to keep them anymore....My opinon is, zoos don't have to keep every animal. From time to time its better to protect them in the wild.Pangolins are good example.
So pangalions will be a really, really hard to keep species in zoos. Thats why most zoos don don't want to keep them anymore....My opinon is, zoos don't have to keep every animal. From time to time its better to protect them in the wild.Pangolins are good example.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Just because the zoo may have found a suitable pair of Tayra to bring in does not mean its going to happen,speculation about things like this is exactly why Tim Rowlands approached me to start the various Curator Walk and Talks for zoochat members at Chester Zoo,to stop people guessing about what is going on at Chester and coming up with the wrong answer.I`m not saying that the zoo isn`t going to bring in Tayra as it was a species Tim mentioned on the last one he did,but he didn`t expect them to arrive this year or next year!
Cheetah fan
Well-Known Member
I understand what ZooGiraffe is saying but could I just put in that there is now space enough to build an exhibit near Spirit Of The Jaguar where the old toilet block was. May or may not happen but if it does I would expect this area to be used.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Not the biggest of area`s to build an enclosure and house for a species like Tayra,personnaly I would expect a larger Toilet block built so they can remove the near by PortaCabin Toilet Block,as they have all the drains and water pipes already in place!!
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I was actually told by a usually reliable source that the area left by the old toilet block would be used as animal exhibit space.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Like I said personnaly I would re-build a proper Toilet block so that Porta Cabin ones could be got rid and then use that space instead for an enclosure.But then if somebody has ideas of building a new enclosure then so be it,a nice new Bird Aviary would be very nice,seeing as the zoo got rid of so many this year.
When the old toilet block was removed, none of the services appeared to have been retained above ground, so that tends to indicate that it will not be replaced.
Personally, I'd remove both toilet blocks and build something permanent in the space alongside the Jaguar Coffee House (where the area of picnic tables are), still leaving room to view the outside of the savannah enclosure. Then use the space vacated by both the old toilet block and the temporary Portaloo for either small cat or bird enclosures. All that space in the front of The Spirit of the Jaguar is currently completely wasted and aside from one tree has no horticultural value.
Personally, I'd remove both toilet blocks and build something permanent in the space alongside the Jaguar Coffee House (where the area of picnic tables are), still leaving room to view the outside of the savannah enclosure. Then use the space vacated by both the old toilet block and the temporary Portaloo for either small cat or bird enclosures. All that space in the front of The Spirit of the Jaguar is currently completely wasted and aside from one tree has no horticultural value.