Chester Zoo Wish list of new animals at Chester

[SMR]

Some small cats - maygay, ocelot, golden cat, fishing cats are some of my faves, but would love to see any

The zoo has held no less than twenty-one different species of "small" cat including caracal, many in the old cat house, which although something of a stamp collection by today's standards was home to some wonderful species. Small cats are currently really poorly represented in the collection.

Some unusual hoofstock, maybe Impala, gerenuk, a gazelle species, wildebeest, a caprid species.

I remember Arabian mountain gazelle and there were also Arabian goitred gazelle in the 1960s.

 

[mazfc]

Here's another one for you Dingiso (Dendrolagus mbaiso)!!

Any tree kangaroo would be good. I'm fast becoming a fan.

They could get me some Desmans as well - I don't mind which ones I'm not fussy.

 

[Hevden]

Fishing cats would be nice to see back at Chester very interesting animals to watch. they were quite comical in Berlin Tierpark as they had young and a big trough. one of the young turned around at feeding time whilst stood on the edge and fell in. It climbed out very slowly looking rather embarrassed. It was highly amusing. It slowly crept off and then came back and did the same again!!

Some birds for islands:

Ivory-breasted pitta, Bornean banded pitta, Javan Cochoa and Sumatran trogan for indonesia. One of the groundrollers for Madagascar and Maybe Seycelles magpie robin.


I also think some free flying birds would be good in spirit of the jaguar. For example, Brazilian Tanager, blue and yellow tanager, mexican tanager, bay headed tanager, blue necked tanager, andean cock of the rock/ guianan cock of the rock and some hummingbirds. Netting over the doors should keep them in and also a little extended avairy so they can go outside away from people occassionally!

 

[Standpitpony]

they don't have orx do they???

 

[mazfc]

they don't have orx do they???

They might in the IT department

 

[Maguari]

they don't have orx do they???

Assuming you mean 'oryx' - yes, they have two of the four oryx species - Scimitar-horned (Oryx dammah) and Gemsbok (Oryx gazella).

That's not to say I would oppose them getting O. beisa or O. leucoryx as well, though. Can't beat a hippotragine.

 

[bongorob]

Can't beat a hippotragine.

Even though my loyalties are with tragelaphini, Maguari I have to agree with you.

My species list for Islands

Indonesia
bay cat
proboscis monkey

Madagascar
Aye-aye
flat-tailed tortoise
Madagascan ground boa

Mascarenes
echo parakeet
keel-scaled boa
Rodrigues fody
Seychelles magpie robin

Philippines
Calamanian deer
Gray's monitor
Panay cloud runner

Sumatra
Kloss's gibbon

 

[Pertinax]

Gorillas and/or bonobos!

Definately!!! Gorillas are the one glaring/outstanding omission among the major species exhibited at Chester and have been ever since the previous ones left the Zoo in the 1980's. I am sure that is going to be rectified at some stage though I don't know exactly when.

Its a pity they don't have Bonobos too but I think that's unlikely and that Twycross will continue with their monopoly on this species in the UK.

 

[Maguari]

Definately!!! Gorillas are the one glaring/outstanding omission among the major species exhibited at Chester and have been ever since the previous ones left the Zoo in the 1980's.

Not for me - there are three other species from the same family exhibited and plenty of ape activity. The biggest mammal gap for me is the lack of hippos (of either species, but preferably 'proper' ones!).

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Definately!!! Gorillas are the one glaring/outstanding omission among the major species exhibited at Chester

I'm inclined to disagree there - now they have got rid of their kangaroos, it is a pretty glaring omission for the largest collection in the UK to not have *any* representation from the marsupials! The reasoning for losing the kangaroos themselves was sound - they weren't a threatened species - but there are plenty of marsupials which could do with a helping hand, I am sure.

 

[bongorob]

I'm sure marsupials will be back, there are plenty of species inhabiting New Guinea.

 

[Maguari]

I'm sure marsupials will be back, there are plenty of species inhabiting New Guinea.

Yes, if Tim's reading this - tree kangaroos.


Tree kangaroos.



All I'm saying.



Tree kangaroos.

 

[Pootle]

A couple humans (homo sapiens that can design a decent website for the zoo.

The current homepage appears to have a Lion, a Zebra and an Orang-utan surrounded by what I can only describe as multi-coloured condoms with eyes and arms.


Away from that a couple of Musk Ox would be nice, either species.

 

[Pertinax]

Not for me - there are three other species from the same family exhibited and plenty of ape activity. The biggest mammal gap for me is the lack of hippos (of either species, but preferably 'proper' ones!).

Obviously I'm biased. But Hippos are a big ommission too- like you I would much rather see 'real' hippos not Pygmy's if they ever came back to Chester. By the way did Chester ever have Pygmy Hippo?

 

[Maguari]

Obviously I'm biased. But Hippos are a big ommission too- like you I would much rather see 'real' hippos not Pygmy's if they ever came back to Chester. By the way did Chester ever have Pygmy Hippo?

Yes, they were kept in part of what is now the chimp island if I recall correctly.

 

[gentle lemur]

Yes, they were kept in part of what is now the chimp island if I recall correctly.

No, they were kept in what is now part of the capuchin monkey enclosure, with indoor quarters more or less where the back entrance to the Tropical House is now.

Alan

 

[Maguari]

No, they were kept in what is now part of the capuchin monkey enclosure, with indoor quarters more or less where the back entrance to the Tropical House is now.

Alan

Thanks, knew it was somewhere off the Tropical House but couldn't picture the map properly!

 

[mcatee123]

Imperial Amazons (Amazona imperialis)
Hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoazin)
Kakapo (Strigops habroptila) P)
Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)
North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)
Baudin's Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii)
Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri)
Guianan Cock of the rock (Rupicola rupicola)

Id like to see 'Proper' Hippos in a decent enclosure not just the usual concrete hole full of stagnant water just big enough for them to stand in.

 

[SMR]

Thanks, knew it was somewhere off the Tropical House but couldn't picture the map properly!

One of the most-used "historical" images of the zoo pictures the Duke of Edinburgh (on his visit to open the lecture theatre) being shown the pygmy hippos in the Tropical House by George Mottershead. I think you can find the image on one of the walls in June's Pavilion.

 

[Javan Rhino]

I made this comment last night in the chatroom, however I think one omission at Chester and something I'd like to see come in in the future are non-lutrine mustelids, ie. weasels, stoats, wolverines, tayra, martens etc.