Chester Zoo Where are the Sealions????
- Thread starter miss_piggy
- Start date
I would wait and see how the sun bear enclosure looks when it is finished.The whole area cannot be much bigger than the previous enclosure as it is surrounded by access paths etc. It will be much more of a 3d space than before though.
Without wanting to get off topic, have they not extended across the front path down towards the chimpanzees as well as taking over space to the back and side?
Either way, my point is that we have no idea what Chester have in mind for the otters and the former sea lion enclosure and Chester is a zoo which generally knows what it's doing so I'm sure we will get an enclosure which is appropriate to the species.
Either way, my point is that we have no idea what Chester have in mind for the otters and the former sea lion enclosure and Chester is a zoo which generally knows what it's doing so I'm sure we will get an enclosure which is appropriate to the species.
Personally, from a veterinary point of view, i take a lot of interest in checking out the 'off-show'/handling facilities and this is another area in which I think the 'old' sea lion enclosure could do with a revamp. Mustelids are one of the most difficult groups of mammals to handle and examine; they may look 'cute' but they are extremely vicious and 'wriggly' when cornered or when being anaesthetised, so this is definitely something that Chester Zoo will have to address.
Our feline friend is right - another place I should have thought of earlier!
Gweek also has S. African Fur Seals as well as Patagonians.
I think that could be said for quite a few species held in zoos. Actually many zoos will argue that they can rightly display none endangered species as this is an educational resource and also these animals can be used as models for the husbandry of related species that many well be in danger.
At the end of the day it may come down to the actual cost of keeping them. I think quite few zoos and aquariums will keep them because they are popular and attract people. Zoo need money to survive even the ones that are none profit like ZSL.
I am not sure if Edinburgh are planning to close the exhibit. They have been told by the zoo inspectors to improve the facilities note there is a difference between what the inspector ‘recommend’ or stipulate as a ‘condition’ for a collection to continue to issued with a license.
It the site of the old Cleethorpes Zoo and Marineland and the sea lion exhibit quite near where the dolphin pools were. The park is owned by Flamingoland as was the original zoo. Picture below. Quite a nice exhibit.
Thanks I have amended the list. As Rhyl is owned by West Midlands Safari Park I suspect South African fur seals.
The sea lions at Blair Drummond are now owned by the park.
Pleasure Island is owned by the Gibb family who also own Flamingland. Cleethorpes Zoo was original built by Assocatied Pleasure Park run by Pentland Hick who also own Flamingoland then called Flamingo Park. So I guess there's a link. Actually the land I believe is owned by the council and leased.
I presented the last dolphin show at Cleethorpes in the summer of 1974 when the zoo was called Cleethropes Zoo and Adventure Park. I think it was owned by Scotia Investments at this time who as well as owning Flamingo Park also owned Dudley Zoo and a couple of other smaller zoos if memory serves me correct one was Sherwood. If my friend Peter Dickinson is reading this he may have more to add as he worked for the Flamingo Park group.
sealion
Well-Known Member
It the site of the old Cleethorpes Zoo and Marineland and the sea lion exhibit quite near where the dolphin pools were. The park is owned by Flamingoland as was the original zoo. Picture below. Quite a nice exhibit.
Ah, ok. The pools looked pretty temporary so I'm guessing they've built the sealion enclosure entirely from scratch. Do they have another pool as well as that show one?
Re:Getting rid of sea lions,
They are usually common at parks, but the expenses probably make people think about possible alternatives. Soon we'll just be seeing Asian Short Claw Otters, Penguins and Meerkats everywhere.
The pools in the original 'marineland' at Cleethropes Zoo where made of fibre glass and made in section. They were quite good for their time. Plans were to build concrete pools but that never happened.
The current sea-lions pool has off show holding pens behind the fake rock work. You get a better idea by looking at it from Google Earth:
cleethorpes - Google Maps
sealion
Well-Known Member
Ah yeah, I see, thanks.
I used to look after 6 sea lions, (besides the dolphins and seals) at Flamingo Park Zoo. The Zoo also had a Male and 3-4 females at the top end and I well remember the sound they used to make, you could hear them all over the Zoo with their 'honking'. I had to use their sound when leaving work one night. It was so foggy, I couldn't see the path so had to walk up to the top end just by the sounds of the various animals. The worst part was crossing over the front of the Hall. The Flamingos in the lake sounded just like children playing.. very spooky! I was thankful for the sea lions as they were right by the entrance, so I eventually found my way out. 
Ahh i never knew that. Why do they advertise them as being sea lions when they are seals? they do however have the characteristics of a sea lion such as their stance.
Fur seals belong to the 'sea lion' family, Otariidae, rather than the 'true seal' family Phocidae, so technically they are sea lions (this is why they have the same stance, external ears, rear flipper anatomy etc as sea lions).
Think I read somewhere that fur seals are considered more 'primitive' than sea lions - will try and dig out the reference. They certainly don't seem as 'bright' as California and Patagonian sea lions or seals for that matter..