Chester Zoo What Chester Zoo needs to make it World class

CZJimmy said:
Excellent post.

Using an example, Durrell is one of my favourite zoos that i've visited and the animals there live in excellent facilities in a zoo which has global recognition for it's conservation work. This to me makes it world class. However, to use the criteria in this thread, then it would not be considered world class because it does not feature the A-Z of zoo animals (this is where someone will dig up an old post of mine to prove my hypocrisy :p ). Twycross Zoo features a good number of the animals typically associated with zoos yet I would rank it far, far below zoos the calibre of Jersey and Chester.

Chester is already "world-class". It is arguably the best in the UK, certainly in with a shout of best in Europe and it is also competitve when comparing on a global scale. Could it be improved? Of course. No zoo is perfect and even the self-proclaimed best in the world, San Diego has been lambasted on here recently by some members for a decline in standards. From an inside-looking-outward approach, I get the impression that Chester doesn't appear to be on a similar level to the zoos in the States when that might not neccesarily be the case.

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Very well said, I beleive this thread isn't so much 'what would make chester world class' and more what would you personally like to see at chester. Afterall what makes a zoo world class is an entirely subjective thing and I would definetly argue that hippo's, dolphins and gorillas do not make a zoo world class.
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GouldianFinch said:
If Any Thing Needs Improving though its the Aquarium
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Chester Zoo’s aquarium is undeniably small and old-fashioned, but I’m rather fond of it.

Despite the limitations of the present building, it actually houses an excellent collection of interesting species. There are not many places where you can see six specimens of Australian lungfish or four different species of elephant-nosed fish. The Omani blind cave fish are really unusual too.

(Probably my favourite fish at Chester Zoo, though, are the Probarbus jullieni in the Elephant House.)
 
I've visited Chester Zoo 3 times and I would say its one of the best of its kind in the world!:)

I do feel this thread can indeed make you greedy and we have to accept there will be some animals even Chester Zoo will never feauture.

I didn't visit the aqurirum on my last visit in the last summer. But I thought it was being rebuilt and finished in 2009. So said wikipiedia a couple of years ago. How accurate that is I've no idea.;)
 
The last I heard (July 2009) was that the plans for the new aquarium are on hold.
 
Goretex said:
I didn't visit the aqurirum on my last visit in the last summer. But I thought it was being rebuilt and finished in 2009. So said wikipiedia a couple of years ago. How accurate that is I've no idea.
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There haven't been any recent plans to build or adapt the aquarium, and certainly nothing has happened in during the first eleven months of 2009.

One would hope that if the zoo does decide to build a new aquarium that the old 1952 building be retained, perhaps to continue the Hippocampus and Chichlidae breeding program. It's quite an historic building as it was constructed by Fred and June Williams in their spare time - June Williams was the daughter of George Mottershead, the zoo's founder and the subject of Reared in Chester Zoo.

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reared-Chester-Zoo-Story-Mottershead/dp/0955970202/"]Amazon.co.uk[/ame]

or...

Chester Zoo Gifts - Product
 
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To improve the zoo I think the west zoo paddocks should be combined to make 2 paddocks. A african and a asian. The now asian plains should be a huge lion exhibit. The giraffes should be moved up to the Africa paddock. Old giraffe are should be built into a Tiger exhibit so they move down into the forest zone.
 
lechweoryx said:
To improve the zoo I think the west zoo paddocks should be combined to make 2 paddocks. A african and a asian. The now asian plains should be a huge lion exhibit. The giraffes should be moved up to the Africa paddock. Old giraffe are should be built into a Tiger exhibit so they move down into the forest zone.
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good idea but the west paddocks are in use by a varied animals, (none asain) and teh lions+tiger have good enclosures.

most of the african things will happen in heart of africa
 
Savannah animals will occupy an undeveloped area in west zoo, after Heart of Africa is finished. Unless things have changed again.
 
Basically the Savannah animals will stay were they are. Will heart of Africa just occupey land not alreadyin the main zoo or will it encroach on the main zoo?
 
I actually thought the Lion enclosure they had there was very good:). Even if it is so old;). Maybe its because the Lion enclosure at Colchester Zoo is rather boring with vast amounts of fake rock work (looks very gimiky in my opinion) so to see a naturalistic Lion enclosure does make me pleased:D. BTW for those that don't know Colchester the vast majority of the zoo is better than their Lion enclosure.

I do agree however for a zoo that is having a reputaition of one of the best in the world the Tiger enclousure is quite dissapointing (just quite small) and I think they should move them. The Girafe house is also rather old-fasined but the paddock is fine.

I must say "Heart of Africa" does look cool:cool:. I will defineately visit there when thats brand new.:D
 
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