Chester Zoo Where are the Sealions????
- Thread starter miss_piggy
- Start date
Thanks for that. Its always interesting to know where animals are sent to like this.
I look forward to the arrival of the Giant Otters at Chester . I hope they do some major alterations to the Sea Lion enclosure in order to make it a more suitable habitat . As others have said , it would have been better if both species could have been retained .
If it could have been done , a stretch of the canal would have made a very natural
Otter enclosure . Decent public viewing could be a problem .
I remember the original pair of Giant Otters at the Chestnut Centre being very lively and vocal , perhaps Otter feeding time can repace the very popular Sea Lion feeding .
If it could have been done , a stretch of the canal would have made a very natural
Otter enclosure . Decent public viewing could be a problem .
I remember the original pair of Giant Otters at the Chestnut Centre being very lively and vocal , perhaps Otter feeding time can repace the very popular Sea Lion feeding .
I saw Giant Otters many years ago at Duisburg Zoo they are indeed very engaging.
Yes , I also saw them at Duisburg , probably in the 1970's . In a very small enclosure , if I remember correctly , in front of the building housing the River Dolphins .
One of the few 'spectacular' species I've never seen in the flesh. No doubt I shall visit Chester this year to rectify that. From film of them swimming in rivers in S. America, I agree that a longer narrow swimming area to simulate a river or creek- like part of the canal (!)- might have been more suitable but there we are.
I first saw giant otters in Hamburg in '72 (*strokes grey whiskers thoughtfully*) and I was amazed by them. So I am delighted that Chester will have them on show soon.
The old sea lion enclosure will need a lot of work - but I can't see them using the canal - imagine a curious otter trying to board the waterbus. I will be interested to see what sort of barrier they decide on: otters are escapologists and if one were to get out it would find plenty of tempting penguin and flamingo-shaped snacks. I do hope that it won't be entirely viewed through glass (I don't like Slimbridge's new otter pool).
I hope they can plant the land area to give a tropical aspect, I suspect Gunnera may be involved. I remember seeing photos and video of wild giant otters on rocks and fallen tree trunks beside the water - which could look good.
As Maguari said, they will need a good-sized house with a heated pool (and I assume indoor viewing). I don't think they will be able to heat the outdoor pool, but perhaps a heat-exchanger to cool the penguin's water and heat the otter's would be possible, beneficial to both species and a good demonstration of green technology.
Alan
The old sea lion enclosure will need a lot of work - but I can't see them using the canal - imagine a curious otter trying to board the waterbus. I will be interested to see what sort of barrier they decide on: otters are escapologists and if one were to get out it would find plenty of tempting penguin and flamingo-shaped snacks. I do hope that it won't be entirely viewed through glass (I don't like Slimbridge's new otter pool).
I hope they can plant the land area to give a tropical aspect, I suspect Gunnera may be involved. I remember seeing photos and video of wild giant otters on rocks and fallen tree trunks beside the water - which could look good.
As Maguari said, they will need a good-sized house with a heated pool (and I assume indoor viewing). I don't think they will be able to heat the outdoor pool, but perhaps a heat-exchanger to cool the penguin's water and heat the otter's would be possible, beneficial to both species and a good demonstration of green technology.
Alan
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camel leopard
Well-Known Member
It's a shame that the sea lions will be leaving, but great news about the otters looks like they will have a very large enclosure then! With woburn and chester getting rid of sea lions i wonder if it will be the start of a trend.
John, thank you for the insights, invaluable as always.
Alan mentioned seconding some of the water treatment facilities afforded to the penguins, I wonder if the plant would've had the capacity to create a split pool (the sea lion pool at Chester is divided into two), with one half salt the other half fresh water.
As Pertinax mentioned, aside from them being in the wrong place - the goal at Chester was supposed to be geographic regions - the otters may well have too much water and not enough land. Perhaps a solution would be to in-fill one half of the pool (the one nearest the aquarium) and create a stream from there to the open water. There may just be room for a house down at that end too, although Alan is absolutely right, all this sounds like a lot of work and one wonders whether it wouldn't have been easier just to dig a new pond somewhere. I'm sure they'll also have to do something about the barriers, giant otters could easily climb what is there now.
Whey hey!I am sure Chester will be taking all this into account and I wish them well with them- I just wish they weren't replacing the Sea Lions (note spelling)
Totally agree on all counts though, great addition, sad departure. I'm sure zoo enthusiasts will appreciate the new species, whether the general public will feel the same way, I don't know.
I saw them at Duisburg in the 80's. Feeding time meant half a dozen live trout were dropped into the pool, which was a crystal clear concrete affair. Seeing the otters catch the fish within seconds was quite a sight, although I'm not sure if live feeding would be permitted today.
They did that also with the animals in the old river dolphins exhibit as well when I visited. This was sometime ago when I attended a European Association for Aquatic Mammals meeting.
That's exactly what I was getting at-a big water area but only narrow margins of land. Several otter species (e.g. Asian small-clawed) are as terrestrial as they are aquatic and I think Giants fall into that category too. As Alan mentioned, I think some 'set dressing' with tree roots/ tropical plants etc will certainly be necessary and yes, at the end of the day a totally new exhibit might well have achieved things better- and without the Sea Lions having to leave. But its still an interesting development.
This, of course, assumes the sea lions weren't leaving anyway!
My point is, the Sea Lions didn't need to leave... If Chester chose to get rid of them that's a different matter but why should they want to, except becuse they wanted to replace them with something else. I do think the Zoo will be poorer for their loss. Up the road at Blackpool they are upgrading their Sea Lion pool and I think it will be an excellent exhibit for the public.
Oh, I agree entirely. But we really don't know which came first - the decision for the sealions to go or for the otters to take their exhibit. I was just trying to avoid SEA LIONS AXED FOR OTTERS becoming an 'Internet Fact'.
Whenever zoos go out of species it's a shame, but I'm always wary of trying to second-guess the reasoning - there could be any number of factors we know nothing of.
I can understand wanting giant otters (great addition) but surely, if the sea lion pool requires the amount of work we think it might, then the zoo would have been a better place with a purpose built exhibit for the otters, and the retention of the sea lions.
If the decision was made to dispense with the sea lions before the advent of the otters, then I'd be interested to know the reasoning why, given that they're a hugely popular species. "Feeding time at the giant otters" doesn't have the same ring, and nor will they make the same noise.
taun
Well-Known Member
Surely you can see the point of view the enclosure is not really suited to Sea lions? Therefore a good enough reason to move them on and in the future maybe build a better enclosure for them?
Blackpool's enclosure before the modifications was certainly a better size than Chesters. Zoos should look at building bigger better enclosure for its animals and thus am in favour of the sea lions moving on.
I understand your point completely, but I don't think I'd be comfortable labelling the enclosure as unsuitable. Certainly it could be bigger and better, but the same could be said for many of them.
We know the plan is for a new sea lion complex in a later phase of Natural Vision. Until that time, I'd have rather seen the sea lions retained and the addition of a purpose-built enclosure for the giant otters. That would have meant the zoo kept their ABC species and also had an otter habitat built to the highest current standard.