Chester Zoo Your Personal Vision for Chester

CZJimmy

Well-Known Member
Hey

I know Chester has got the 2020 Masterplan, but after a bit of free time today I had a think about what I would do if I was in charge of the decisions based on the current zoo site...

(yes, i was bored! ;) )

I'm not sure if all of these are possible (size, congestion, incompatibility etc)

- Move the congo buffalo up to the bongo paddock.
- Renovate the congo buffalo house and paddock for pygmy hippos.
- Open up the old rhino house and turn it into an Africa house containing warthogs, mongoose and aardvarks in the first two stalls and an aviary could also be built in one. Then one of the outdoor areas and part of the indoor area could be renovated for a species of baboon. (A moat and higher fence could be built outside and glass windows built inside)
- A giant anteater exhibit could be built on the lawn outside Spirit of Jaguar
- Clear the children's farm area and build a small mammal house on that land adjoining the marmot enclosure.
- Increase the number of sealions in the current pool.
- In the mongoose enclosure next to the kangaroos, replace the mongoose with wombats (would they be too big? obviously renovations need to happen) and then implement an Australian theme.

What do you think?

What would you personally like to see happen at Chester? (doesn't have to be 100% realistic, just a bit of fun:))

Jimmy
 
My MANY improvements:

In the old Rhino house, remove the walls separating the pens, and make it a large african house, with the current mongooses and warthog, but I'd add sections for Hyrax, African pygmy eagle and free flying supreo starling, Oxpeckers, turacos and tinkerbirds.

Here's me being a bit bird curator-ish: The aviaries in the tropical realm would change, so that the first houses writhed hornbills, the second Bulwer's pheasant, the Third (now split, but would be joined together again) rufous necked hornbill and the last blue billed curassows. The very large hornbill aviaries would keep rufous and Helmeted hornbill. Upstairs, the old congo peafowl aviary would be changed to keep Thick billed ground dove and ornate lorikeets, and the congo peafowl will move into the African house (mentioned below). The other aviaries would house:

1. Visayan Tarictic hornbill
2. Mindoro bleeding heart and Montserrat oriole
3. Salvadori's pheasant and Edward's fig parrot
4. Sulu bleeding heart and White rumped Shama
5. White crested turaco and Green naped pheasant pigeon
6. Timor Zebra finch and emerald dove.

The African house would be built where the giraffes are, and there would be the current Okapi house, with the extension over into the Warty pig enclosure (they've moved too!) The Okapi would be mixed with Zebra duiker. The Old buffalo house still keeps the buffalo, but with Debrazza's guenons. Where the pigs could come inside, there are some enclosures for small mammals and birds such as Great Blue Turaco, Rwenzori turaco, Congo peafowl, Rhinoceros viper and Black and rufous elephant shrew. Where the giraffes used to be is an exhibit for Bongo, schmidt's spot nosed guenon and yellow backed duiker.

The chimp colony has been removed, and a group of bonobos has replaced it.

The Picnic Lawn with the Aviaries for the Satyr Tragopans and Himalayan monals has been remodelled into a rainforest house, with the theme being 'same but different'. It is showing how all rainforests are similar but at the same time are different. There are the Green and emerald boas. The Rhinoceros hornbills from the Tropical realm are here, as are a pair of Keel billed toucans. There are many other examples of Convergent rainforest evolution shown in this exhibit.

There is also a chinese area near the red Pandas. There are Sclater's and Chinese monals, Grey peacock pheasant, the satyr tragopans from the picnic lawn near the Jags, Derbyan Parkeets, red pandas and Sichuan Takin. The Red crowned cranes have been swapped for Black crowned cranes, and they are living with a pair of golden pheasants. The old Bongo exhibit houses the takin. Most of the birds are housed in a large walk-in aviary, with aviaries around the side for the Monals (as they are so rare). In this walk-in aviary, there are also Oriental white and Painted storks and Asiatic waterfowl.

The canal is remodelled for the zoo's sealions, and the islands on it are coverted to a larger enclosure for a pair of Tamaraw. this will fit in with the nearby Philippine exhibit, or the Tamaraw will anyway (hehe)

The Onagers and Camels (along with the persian goitered gazelles) are moved to an exhibit where the Grevy's zebra are now. The zebra are moved out of the collection, as are the Scimitar oryx. The Old oryx enclosure houses a large herd of Saiga, making this area of the zoo fit in with the zoo's mountain theme, as the Bears and tapirs are nearby.... The ostriches and Sitatunga swap enclosures with the Prezwalski's horses and the miniature monkeys exhibit is demolished for a Mountain tapir exhibit.

The Capybara are moved to the Philippine spotted deer enclosure with Baird's Tapir, while the old Capybara enclosure houses Vicuna, brazilian tapirs and Mara. Any young Capybara will be placed in here.

The monkey's from Miniature monkeys are given an almost identical exhibit on the picnic lawn directly in front of the Jags, not the one near Arara, the one just near the door.

The Philippine exhibit is built on the old asian steppe exhibit, and is basically my exhibit (the bird one that there is a plan of on the gallery) with a few minor Changes. The Writhed hornbills are Changed for Visayan wrinkled hornbills, the Rufous hornbills are swapped for the Sulu hornbills and here are some exhibits for Philippine mammals too. There is a mixed exhibit for the spotted deer herd and the warty pigs and as mentioned above, there is the Pair of Tamaraw on the Island in the Canal. The old Lemur enclosure have been Changed into Philippine parrot aviaries, to fit in with the theme. There are Mount Apo Lorikeets, with another pair of Palawan peacock pheasants and the are Mindoro hanging parrots and a small house for a pair of Tarsier.

The lemurs have all moved onto the Lemur island with the Ring tails. All except the Aloatrans, which have been put in the New rainforest house on the Arara picnic lawn.

In Realm of the red Ape, there are some minor Changes. In the Timor Sparrow aviary are Bornean peacock pheasants, chestnut capped thrush and still the little timors.

The cassowaries are Changed for Bennett's, and the mongoose enclosure houses numbats. The Pudu are Swapped for the Babirusa, and the Old Kea aviary houses Kakas.

There is also an extension to the penguin exhibit, now the sea lions have gone and there are groups of Royal penguins and King penguins.

A quick Part at The islands of Danger, Trying Mixes Wilson's BoP with the reds, and put Stella's lorikeets back in the pigeon aviary.

The Flamingoes are moved to the Old Maned Wolf enclosure, and the species are Changed to Andean and Jame's. The Old Flamingo area, is Changed into two exhibits. An asian bird aviary, and a Falklands one. The asian one will go with the realm of the red ape, keeping Storm's and Milky storks, various ducks, Kingfishes and Pigeons.

The Falklands aviary will fit in with the redeveloped penguin exhibit and will keep steamer ducks, Cormorants, Inca Terns, Boobies and other seabirds.

I THINK that I'm Done.....PHEW!!
 
I think I'd redevelop the area between the staff entrance, the parrot breeding centre and the lion enclosure (to the front and sides of Oakfield house). That would mean moving the bongos and kangaroos and redeveloping most of the other enclosures - I think I'd leave the cassowaries, the Manchurian cranes and the red pandas as their enclosures are modern and pretty good.
I'd also leave the lawns and gardens and all the mature trees alone; but I'd like to see more aviaries and small mammal exhibits including a new otter pool. I'm sure it isn't in the masterplan, but I think a quiet area for smaller animals is important to the character of the zoo. It's too close to the road and the neighbouring houses for anything big or dramatic, so I'd keep everything on a fairly small scale.
The sort of animals I'd like to see are
  • the bushdogs, rehoused
  • one or two species of small cats or viverrids or foxes
  • spot-necked otters (or some other less usual species)
  • the Vasa parrots & Derbyan parakeets, rehoused
  • some softbills and pheasants

Alan
 
saiga, zebra backed duiker and mountain tapir! very nice! i'd throw in some malayan tapirs mixed with the orangs to make you up to all 4 species!
 
Alright here's my second attempt...

-Elephants:attempt to grow grass in the paddock again. Build second grassed paddock on opposite side of house.
-Asian Plains: keep the same. Warty Pigs moved in with spotted deer.
-Monkey Islands and Miniature monkeys remain the same
-Twilight Zone: Turn part of the lobby into an area for aye-aye
-Cloud Forest: Stays the same apart from Condor aviary built.
-Paddocks: Keep Lechwe by meerkats. Get eland into the paddock behind tsavo café. Rhino numbers are reduced. Move emus and wallabies out. Swap preswalski horses with zebra. Move oryx into old pere davids deer paddock. Keep gemsbok, sitatunga and ostrich the same. Camels moved into paddock next to prezwalski horses. Move Warthogs, mongoose and possibly porcupines into the old emu and wallaby paddock.
-Pelicans moved out of the collection. Replaced by the flamingoes.
-Tsavo: Keep the same
-Old Rhino house: re-open. Add aardvarks in the first indoor pen and the current warthog outdoor area. Add a mesh netting over the 2nd indoor pen and add a variety of African aviary birds e.g. ground hornbills. Add floor to roof glass panels on the 3rd indoor pen and add a floor substrate similar to Monkey Islands to keep a species of baboon (Olive, Hamadryas?). Turn the second outside area into a dense bush forest for the baboons but carve out a moat and raise the fence (glass panels?)
-Condor Cliffs: move the condors into a new aviary behind spectacled bears. Add glass panels to the lower viewing area. Reinforce the boundaries and extend into the old maned wolf enclosure for the arrival of gorillas. Gorilla house can be built in north end of wolf paddock (possibly extending into car park). Andean garden replaced by African forest garden.
-Coatis: moved to the spectacled bear enclosure. Replaced by Diana Monkeys. A house similar to Miniature Monkeys is built adjoining the old coati island.
-Giraffes: Remain for time being, when space is available they will be moved over to an extended paddocks area. The paddock will then be split between Bongo and Cape Buffalo and it will be replanted. The house will be split between them. De brazza's monkeys added.
-Okapi: stays the same, but Zebra Duiker added.
-Cattle and Antelope house: Visayan Warty Pigs moved in with Philippine spotted deer. Buffalo section turned into Pygmy Hippo area. Larger pool built outside. Small pool built in one of the old buffalo stalls. Warty Pig area turned into indoor/outdoor aviary for African rainforest birds.
-Chimps: remain the same.
-Tropical Realm: stays largely the same, however vivariums for small rainforest mammals are included in the area had been closed off, but is now re-opened. Red river hogs and capuchins remain outside. Galapagos tortoises moved out.
-Demolish sand-lizard enclosure, move the lizards off-show.
-Spirit of Jaguar: Jaguars remain in rainforest half, Ocelots move into savannah section which becomes planted as rainforest. The lawn directly outside is turned into a giant anteater enclosure. Anteater indoor quarters are inside the savannah drum of spirit of the jaguar. Macaws are moved to off-show parrot house, replaced by various Toucan species.
-Arara picnic lawn: Bush dogs and pudu moved down here.
-Realm of the Red Ape: remains largely the same, Babirusa enclosure built on RoRA lawn.
-Flamingo Islands Converted into Malayan Tapir and Proboscis Monkey mixed exhibit. (Unlikely I know)
-Lemur Islands: Both ruffed lemur species moved onto ring-tail island. Gentle Lemurs remain on their island. Anoa remain on their island. Sifaka move onto old ruffed lemur island.
-Cheetahs, Onagers all remain.
-Penguins stay the same
-More sealions added to their pool.
-European aviary stays the same.
-Larger Lion and Tiger houses built.
-Red Pandas: remain in a Chinese themed area, with nearby aviaries. Pudu moved to arara lawn. Old bongo paddock turned into Chinese ungulate mixed species exhibit containing Chinese water deer, and Pere Davids Deer. Oriental short clawed otters remain. Crane exhibit turned into mixed species aviary including golden pheasants.
-Old bush dog and pudu enclosures turned into wallaby enclosure and wombat enclosure respectively. Numbats in the old mongoose enclosure. Area has an australian theme.
-Childrens farm demolished and replaced by Coyote enclosure.
-Islands in Danger has a Galapagos tortoise extension on opposite side to the komodo extension. (i.e. extends onto the lawn)

Sorry for the length, i think i got carried away;)
 
Last edited:
I had a think, but I cannot compete with Hornbill and CZJimmy. Here's my offering for what it's worth.

I would demolish the warthog enclosure and use the site for a picnic lawn. There can't be a lot of people who will want to sit on red hot tarmac in the height of summer, and the seating at Tsavo seems limited. The warthogs and mongooses would be placed in the adjacent rhino enclosure. The third rhino enclosure would be used for aardvarks (indoors) and baboons (outdoors).

I would put margays on the Jaguar lawn.

I would move some of the monitors and large snakes out of the Tropical Realm and replace them with some of the offshow reptiles, e.g eyelash viper and fiji iguana. Also some of the endangered turtles.

I would move the condors back to a small aviary alongside the canal, they have only bred once in Condor Cliffs.

In Condor Cliffs I would introduce a pair of screamers and add more black and turkey vultures. In the next enclosure I would put the pudu and continue the South American theme. The crane would be housed on the waterfowl section.

I would put the giraffes behind the bears in a new house and the existing giraffe house would become an African primate enclosure with guenons and colobus monkeys. The bongos would occupy the current zebra enclosure. The zebras would move in with the oryx.

I would demolish the bird house and rebuild it as a tropical pheasant and hornbill centre.

The current pudu enclosure would house the babirusa. A new enclosure on the lawn south of the bush dogs to house an endangered muntjac species.

The Parrot Breeding Centre would expand onto the site of the bongo enclosure.
 
Try to grow grass in the elephants paddock, and possibly build a seond paddock leaving the current paddock for the bulls or maybe mothers + calf.

Place The Red Junglefowl in the elephnat paddock or maybe Gaur in the new paddock

Move Eland and Thompsons Gazelle to join th rhinos in tsavo. Also add some Porcupines to join the lechwe.

Turning half of the entire pelican, crane & waterfowl area into an walk through african aviary for Starlings etc and leaving the other hald for birds such as Ground Horbills, Marabou Storks & Cranes.

Axe the emu and wallabys, same goes for Gemsbok, Bush Dog, Rhea, Guanaco, Pudu, Campbells Guenons & Kangaroos.

The Paddocks for Zebra, Oryx, Ostrich, Deer, Horses etc are all joined together for Giraffes, Zebras, Oryx, Ostrich, Sitatunga, Dama Gazelle & Congo Buffalo.

The Vicunas, Capybaras & Tapirs are moved to the old guanaco and rhea pen. whilst their enclosure is turned into an aviary for Scarlet Ibis and waterfowl.

Diana Monkeys join the Mandrills

Javan Langurs replace the Lion Tailed Macaques whilst Golden Lion Tamarins and agoutis replace the spider monkeys.

Blackbuck and Brow Antlered Deer move to the old Lechwe paddock and are joined by the Nilgai and possibly Banteng. And Persian Gointered Gazelle join the camels and onagres.

The path is extended so that the anoa island can be seen from here. The anoas are moved to the old maned wolf pen. whilst the ruffed lemurs join the ring tails, sifakas move on to the former anoa and lemur islands.

Condors are moved to a new aviary near the bears whilst their former enclosure is re-modelled for Gorillas, Colobus and Red River Hogs. Bongos move to the old giraffe house whilst duikers join the okapi pair.

Visyan Warty Pigs join the spotted deer whilst the cattle house is demolished and a pygmy hippo exhibit is built here. Chimps stay for the time being. Malayan Tapirs and Lion Tailed Macaques join the Orangs and Gibbons whilst the Babirusa move to the lawn.

Jaguar stays as does the Tropical Realm, Capuchins and Mythical Macaws. Another macaw aviary is set up outside the jaguar house whilst the sand lizards are moved off-show.

A Numbe of waterfowl join the flamingoes from their old enclosure near the rhinos, whilst the sealions leave the collection. Their enclosure is joined with the penguin enclosure and King Penguins join the Humboldts.

Demoiselle Cranes move into the Europe On The Edge and the round parrot aviaries are demolished. Lorikeets move back to the Islands In Danger and swapping around with birds in the tropical realm mean that the aviaries outside the islands in danger also house island birds. Aquarium is demolished completly.

Lions leave the collection and the Tigers move into their enclosure. Clouded Leopards move into the tiger pen. Kea move back into their old aviary.

With Kangaroos, Pudu and Bush Dogs gone their old enclosures are demolished and a snow leopard enclosure is built here. Cassowarrys are moved to the site of the old aquarium. The otters and red pandas get a new mixed enclosure and a new aviary for the Derbyan Parakeets, Red Crowned Crane & Golden Pheasants. The Edwards Pheasants are moved up here as are a new species, White Eared Pheasants.

The Rare Parrot Breeding Centre Is Opened To The Public.
 
Update on mine:

- Paddocks What is now the zebra, oryx, ostrich, sitatunga and gemsbok enclosures are combined and a giraffe house built. Warthogs, porcupines and mongoose are kept seperate from the larger savannah animals in the old emu and wallaby enclosure.
- Asian Plains a small group of rhesus macaques is added to the Indian rhinos, blackbuck and brow-antlered deer in the asian plains.
- Realm of the Red Ape Sulawesi Crested Macaques move in with gibbons and Orangs. They are replaced by Drill in monkey islands!
- Persian Goitered Gazelles move in with Onagers, replacing the camels
- Colobus Monkeys move in with Gorillas in the old Condor Cliffs

Effectively, i have created:
An African Savannah zone - Rhinos, Baboons, Giraffes, Zebra, Ostriches, Flamingoes, Meerkats, Warthogs et al
An African Rainforest - Gorillas, Monkeys, Okapi, Bongo, Buffalo, Chimps et al
S. American Rainforest - Jaguars, Ocelots, Anteaters, Pudu, Bush Dog
Cloud Forest - Tapir, Capybara, Vicuna, Guanaco, Rhea, Bear, Coati, Condor
S.E.A Rainforest - Orangs, Tapirs, Monkeys, Babirusa etc
Asian plains - Camel + Prezwalski horses, onager and gazelles, the current asian plains + monkeys
Madagascar Islands - Lemurs, Aloatran Lemur, Sifaka
Chinese area - Red Panda, Cranes, Pere David Deer, Otter
Oceania area - Kangaroos, Wallabies, Cassowaries, numbats, wombats and kea (in their old aviary)
 
I think I've been outbid!
I like MrWH's ideas of tamaraw and doing interesting things with the aviaries inside the Tropical Realm. A bigger, better, greener elephant paddock is another good idea. I also agree that something more has to be done with the reptile collection.
I am less convinced about some of the other suggestions. I don't think Gordon Reid would be happy about demolishing the aquarium (until the new one gets built :rolleyes:). I just can't imagine the elephant paddock occupied by red jungle fowl :confused: and why, oh why, replace the rare, ultra-cool lion-tailed macaques with common or garden, ginger Javan langurs?
As I was a little unambitious first time around, I'll add a couple of blue skies suggestions:- a sea duck enclosure for harlequins, long-tails, king eider and surf scoter (with a state of the art filtration system and underwater viewing, of course) matched with a sea otter enclosure. I think that would fill the condor cliffs site nicely, so people could watch the otters from above, and there'd be a nice glass window at the front. Then the sea ducks could use the old maned wolf site. To complete the zone, I'd construct a large circular aviary on the coati site for a pair of gyrfalcons:the white form would show up nicely against an enormous dark slate megalith in the centre, with a few stunted pine trees beside it. I'm beginning to enjoy this game :D

Alan
 
yes Zoomania, having a large amount of ideas is good and remember, this is your personal vision so you could turn Chester into a marine park is you wished! ;)
 
It depends how much new land Chester could get.

My most immediate changes would be a new Sealion pool with underwater viewing.

On new land build a new Tiger exhibit and make the current one suitable for Dhole.

I like the idea of takin where the bongo are to chinese-up that area with bongo going near Red River Hogs, okapi, buffalo etc (on the current giraffe exhibit).

That'd then require brand new giraffe enclosure, perhaps a savannah area for wild dogs too.

Smarten up that area where the mongoose, kangaroo and cassowary are and make that into a proper themed zone, starting from scratch.
 
The Flamingo enclosure's remodel for one or maybe two new species of gibbons or some type of languar aswell as gibbons.

Lawn outside Realm of the red ape, asian golden cat enclosure or clouded leopards

Giraffe moved over near to the rhino's. In its place a new gorilla enclosure and drills or mandrills mixed. Some of the space used to extend the buffalo exhibit for them to be mixed with bongo's.

Hippos, flamingo and water buffalo mixed exhibit over on the east side.

Where the bongo's were snow leopards or markhor.

Minds gone blank!
 
My HUGE UPDATE!!

Updates for Chester: We can dream!

The elephant paddock has been changed, so a Bull can be housed here. The small, current, bull enclosure can be used for the females to meet the male, and keep a bond with him.

There is another, larger, paddock which houses the rest of the herd. This paddock is built over the Car park and has lots of plants for the animals to pull up. There is a lot of Grass here so the exhibit looks better.

The actual elephant house keeps the green peafowl, red billed blue pie and green wood hoopoe in their current aviary, Great hornbills (also in their exhibit), Zhou's box turtle and Large tree shrew(their exhibit has an enlarged viewing window, so there is more chance of seeing the Zhou's box turtles), there are also the current fish and turtle species. Outside, there are red bellied squirrels and the large gliding squirrels. The flying squirrels are kept in a larger exhibit, where there is an opportunity to walk through with the species.

The warthog enclosure has been redeveloped for a pair of Shoebills, and they have access to the inside of the old Rhino house. This house has been redeveloped to house Hyrax, Aardvark, African Pygmy falcon and Banded mongoose. The Aardvarks are kept in one of the redeveloped rhino pens. There are also Hyrax and Mongooses in another. The Falcons are kept in an aviary at the bottom of the house. The free-flying birds in here include Supreo starling, oxpeckers, turacos, Tinker-birds, Cordon Bleus and whydahs.

The Yellow mongooses are placed with the meerkats, freeing up their old enclosure.

The warthogs are placed with the red lechwe, and the banded mongoose are too. There is a small exhibit for the mongooses too, when the come inside, and this is visible to the public via a glass window.

The waterfowl exhibits, will be developed into an african themed area, and the waterfowl, and Cranes, will be moved around the zoo. The giraffes will be moved into an african house, and it will house some of the african waterfowl species. The main giraffe exhibit also takes over the emu and wallaby enclosures, so these species will leave the collection. The giraffe paddock will be quite large, and they will share their area with Speke's gazelles and Scimitar horned oryx.

The main Giraffe housed is situated near the Monkey islands monorail station. This house has large indoor areas for the giraffes, oryx and gazelles (there are also gates, so the species can be separated if anything goes wrong) and there are the waterfowl (as mentioned above), Short eared elephant shrew and african lungfish. The waterfowl are kept in a large indoor aviary with underwater viewing for the diving species. Some species kept here include Woolly necked storks, Abdim's storks, African openbill, Maccoa duck, Black necked stilt, Comb duck, Purple gallinule, hadada ibis, White faced whistling duck, Hartlaub's duck, Hartlaub's turaco, Von der Decken's hornbill, southern pochard Hammerkop, Cape teal and white backed duck. The bird's aviary has ponds, trees and a large waterfall coming through the middle.

The theme of the giraffe house is water, and how much animals need every day. There are, as well as the species mentioned above, some dung beetles and Slender snouted crocodiles. The beetles are in a small exhibit, where you can watch them roll balls of dung around. The crocodiles are kept in an enclosure adjacent to the aviary, which again, has underwater viewing.

Outside the main house, on the other side to the giraffe enclosure is a big aviary for Lesser flamingoes, sacred ibis, Pink backed and great white pelicans and yellow billed stork. These birds are kept next to a pair of Kirk's dik-dik, who have access to the main giraffe house, to use as a shelter, but they are not on view in side.

Next to the monkey island station is another aviary, but for a pair of secretary birds. This is the end of the African Grassland area.

The Monkey islands exhibit has stayed very much the same, but there are a few changes with the species. The columbian black spider monkeys have been swapped for Bald uakaris, the Mandrills have changed to drills and with the lion tailed macaques are Binturongs.

The indian Rhino exhibit, now houses barashinga, Indian rhino, Rhesus macaques, Blackbuck and Burmese brow antlered deer.

The old Philippine spotted deer enclosure has been adapted for a pair of Baird's tapir and Capybara. This exhibit is the start of the mountain zone, which goes across to the bear enclosure.

Also in the mountain area is a new exhibit for Mountain tapirs, on the site of Miniature monkeys. This exhibit will be one of the most densley planted in the zoo, with large shrubs and bushes rising high over the waterfall which runs through the centre of the exhibit.

The third South American Tapir, the Brazilian, is also found in this part of the zoo, in it's current exhibit with Vicuna, but instead of Capybara, there are Mara. Any young Capybaras born in the Baird's Tapir enclosure will be either moved to another zoo, or placed in here.

The condors and Black vultures have moved here too! They are in an aviary where the hippo maze used to be, adjoining to the bat house.

There are now Flamingoes in this part of the zoo too! In the old Guanaco and Rhea enclosure there are large flocks of Both James' and Andean Flamingoes. There is also a pair of Giant coot in here.

The Grevy's zebra have left the zoo, and in there place are Onagers, Bactrian Camels and a group of Persian goitered gazelles. The old Oryx exhibit now keeps a group of Saiga, fitting in with the mountain theme.

The ostriches and Prezwalski's horses swap exhibits so the ostriches are near the grassland theme and the Horses are near the mountain theme.

In the old Pere david deer exhibit, and a small portion of the prezwalski's horse exhibit are Geladas and Ibex. These aniamals are placed here to make the Gradual Change from Mountain to African Savanna.

That's the west zone Complete!!! Now for the east!

The old Condor cliff aviary has been Changed into a large Exhibit for Eastern Lowland Gorilla, Angolan Colobus and Crowned Guenon. This area fits in with this zone, as we are entering the African forest zone. The Andean Garden has been changed into a viewing area for the gorillas, with large glass windows. The old Coati area has been modified slightly for keeping Spot necked otters and Allen's swamp monkey.

The centre of this African forest zone is the Okapi house. There is an extension for another Okapi, where the warty pigs used to be housed, and this exhibit has been modified. The okapis are now kept with Zebra duiker. This extension has blocked the path to the current giraffe house (which now houses other animals), so there is a bridge going over this area to allow the public to be abl to get to the old giraffe house.

As mentioned above the giraffe house is now not used to hold giraffes, and instead houses Bongos, yellow backed duiker and Schmidt's spot nosed guenons.

The Cattle house has been developed into Tropical African themed house. There are still the buffalo and they are mixed in with Debrazza's Guenon. The old indoor pig accommodation has been changed into enclosure for Great Blue Turaco, Rwenzori Turaco, Congo peafowl, green mamba Yellow Casqued hornbill, Rhinoceros viper and Black and Rufous elephant shrew.

The chimp colony has been removed, and has been replaced with a group of Bonobos.

The tropical realm has had no actual structural change. The bird aviaries now have the following species:

Downstairs:

1.Writhed hornbill

2.Bulwer's pheasant

3.Rufous necked hornbill

4.Blue billed curassow

The big aviaries house rufous ad helmeted hornbills.

Upstairs:

The old Congo peafowl aviary now has Thick billed ground dove and Ornate Lorikeets.

1. Visayan Tarictic hornbill
2. Mindoro Bleeding heart and Montserrat oriole
3. Salvadori's and Edward's fig parrot
4. White Crested Turaco and Green naped Pheasant pigeon
5. Timor zebra finch and emerald dove

Also in the tropical realm there are Chinese alligators instead of the West African Dwarf Crocs.

The Picnic Lawn with the Aviaries for the Satyr Tragopans and Himalayan monals has been remodelled into a rainforest house, with the theme being 'same but different'. It is showing how all rainforests are similar but at the same time are different. There are the Green and emerald boas. The Rhinoceros hornbills from the Tropical realm are here, as are a pair of Keel billed toucans. There are many other examples of Convergent rainforest evolution shown in this exhibit. There are also Aloatran Gentle lemurs in here. One of the other example of Convergent evolution kept in here is the Striped possums and the Aye aye.

In the Mythical macaws aviaries, the Golden Conure, and the Golden capped conures are back on show, with the red billed curassows. The Sand lizards are moved off show, and there is another Macaw aviary built here for the Blue headed macaws and the grey breasted conures which are currently off show.

The cassowaries are Changed for Bennett's, and the mongoose enclosure houses numbats. The Pudu are Swapped for the Babirusa, and the Old Kea aviary houses Kakas.
There is also a chinese area near the red Pandas. There are Sclater's and Chinese monals, Grey peacock pheasant, the satyr tragopans from the picnic lawn near the Jags, Derbyan Parkeets, red pandas and Sichuan Takin. The Red crowned cranes have been swapped for Black crowned cranes, and they are living with a pair of golden pheasants. The old Bongo exhibit houses the takin. Most of the birds are housed in a large walk-in aviary, with aviaries around the side for the Monals (as they are so rare). In this walk-in aviary, there are also Oriental white and Painted
storks and Asiatic water fowl.

The parrot housed is Changed so that more species are on show. There will be pesquet's parrots, Red and Blue Lories, Blue Eared Lories, Ultramarine lories, Black winged lory, Blue eyed cockatoo, Eclectus parrots, Horned parakeets and St Lucia amazon. The aviaries are very similar to the Mythical macaws ones, as they are large and Heavily planted. Off show, there are Red vented cockatoos, Pueto Rican Amazons and imperial amazons.

The zoo's sealions have been moved from their exhibit to the zoo's canal system. It has been adapted, so that the animals cannot escape onto any other exhibit. The lemurs from thislands here, except the gentle lemurs, have moved onto Lemur island with the Ring taileds. All the islands have been merged together for a pair of Tamaraw.

The Philippine exhibit is built on the old asian steppe exhibit, and is basically my exhibit (the bird one that there is a plan of on the gallery) with a few minor Changes. The Writhed hornbills are Changed for Visayan wrinkled hornbills, the Rufous hornbills are swapped for the Sulu hornbills and here are some exhibits for Philippine mammals too. There is a mixed exhibit for the spotted deer herd and the warty pigs and as mentioned above, there is the Pair of Tamaraw on the Island in the Canal. The old Lemur enclosures have been Changed into Philippine parrot aviaries, to fit in with the theme. There are Mount Apo Lorikeets, with another pair of Palawan peacock pheasants and the are Mindoro hanging parrots and a small house for a pair of Tarsier. Just near the exit to the philippine zone is another house for Philippine crocodiles.

The old sealion exhibit has been merged with the penguin exhibit and the penguin species have Changed to Royal and King.

The old Flamingo enclosure have been made into two separate waterbird aviaries. One for South East Asian Birds, to fit in with the Realm, and one for south American seabirds, to fit in with the penguins.

The south east asian aviary has Storm's and Milky storks, red wattled lapwing, Pied imperial pigeon, White collared kingfisher and various south east asian ducks. There is also a separate, adjoining aviary for Lesser adjutant storks.

The South American aviary has Maggelenic steamer ducks, maggelenic penguins, Blue footed boobies, Guanay Cormorant, Snowy Sheathbill and Peruvian pelican (pelicanus Thagus)

In Realm of the red Ape, there are some minor Changes. In the Timor Sparrow aviary are Bornean peacock pheasants, chestnut capped thrush and still the little timors. Also there are Malayan Tapirs in with the Orangs, and the lawn outside the realm houses a pair of Clouded leopard.

In the islands in Danger area the pigeon aviary houses Kagu. The other birds in this aviary are Stella's Lorikeet, Golden heart dove and Scheepmaker's crowned pigeon. The white naped pheasant pigeon are put in the Red Bird of Paradise enclosure, and Wilson's Birds of Paradise are mixed in too.

The Aquarium is redeveloped, including Manatees!

The Owl Aviaries near the Mauritius Kestrels Keep Verminculated fishing owl and Silvery casqued hornbills.

Europe On the edge aviary swaps to keeping Bearded vultures (lammergeirs) instead of the Griffon and Black vultures kept currently.

PHEW!!!!!!
 
Final Update!

Following from Hornbill's lead, I'll do one final comprehensive update, now that i've had more time to think about it:

-Elephants: Attempt to grow grass in the paddock again. Build second grassed paddock on opposite side of house. (i.e. extended into car park). House remains the same.
-Asian Plains: Rhesus Macaques added. They have access to the old Spider Monkey enclosure in Monkey islands via a 'bridge' similar to the colobus one at London over the public pathway. Current species remain Warty Pigs moved in with spotted deer. Aviary similar to majestic macaws built adjoing the rhino house to house Visayan Writhed Hornbills and therefore completing the philippine area.
-Monkey Islands and Miniature monkeys: Sulawesi Macaques move to Realm of Red Ape, replaced by Drills. Spider Monkeys moved to enclosure by Spirit of the Jaguar on the Arara lawn, replaced by Rhesus Macaques.
-Twilight Zone: Turn part of the lobby into an area for aye-aye and Madagascan Jumping Rat.
-Cloud Forest: Brazilian Tapirs and capybara remain in their exhibit. Vicuna move in with rhea and guanaco. The other Coatis are added to the spectacled bear enclosure. Condor aviary built behind the bear enclosure and public access is created.
-Paddocks: Keep Lechwe by meerkats. Get eland into the paddock behind tsavo café. Rhino numbers are therefore reduced. Move emus and wallabies out. Swap preswalski horses with zebra. Pere David's Deer moved out. Move oryx into old pere davids deer paddock. Keep gemsbok, sitatunga and ostrich the same. Camels moved into paddock next to prezwalski horses. Move Warthogs, mongoose and porcupines into the old emu and wallaby paddock and are kept seperate from the larger animals. Combine zebra, oryx, sitatunga, gemsbok and ostrich enclosures and move giraffes over to form an African plains. Build a giraffe house on the sitatunga house but build facilities in it to hold sitatunga and ostrich. Extend zebra house to hold oryx and gemsbok as well
-Pelicans and water birds: Pelicans moved out of the collection. Replaced by the flamingos. Waterbird hide is kept for viewing of flamingos. The rest of the bird enclosure are used to hold african bird species e.g. Secretary Bird, Marabou Stork etc.
-Tsavo: Keep the same
-Old Rhino house: re-open. Add aardvarks in the first indoor pen and the current warthog outdoor area. Add a mesh netting over the 2nd indoor pen and add a variety of African aviary birds e.g. ground hornbills. Add floor to roof glass panels on the 3rd indoor pen and add a floor substrate similar to Monkey Islands to keep a species of baboon (Olive, Hamadryas?). Turn the second outside area into a dense bush forest for the baboons but carve out a moat and raise the fence (glass panels?)
-Condor Cliffs: Move the condors into a new aviary behind spectacled bears. Add glass panels to the lower viewing area. Reinforce the boundaries and extend into the old maned wolf enclosure for the arrival of gorillas. Gorilla house can be built in north end of wolf paddock (possibly extending into car park). Colobus Monkeys share Gorilla exhibit but have a seperate den behind the condor cliffs. Andean garden replaced by African forest garden with viewing windows.
-Coatis: moved to the spectacled bear enclosure. Replaced by Diana Monkeys and spot-necked otters. A house similar to Miniature Monkeys is built adjoining the old coati island for the Diana Monkeys. A monkey 'bridge' over the footpath, is built from this house over to the gorilla exhibit.
-Giraffes: The paddock will be split between Bongo and Cape Buffalo and it will be replanted similar to the Okapi paddock. The house will be split between them (i.e. 2 stalls each). De brazza's monkeys will be added and will have access to bongo and buffalo areas. The house is given a forest feel.
-Okapi: Zebra Duiker added. Paddock extended into old Warty Pig enclosure, blocking off path to the old Giraffe house.
-Cattle and Antelope house: Visayan Warty Pigs moved in with Philippine spotted deer. Buffalo section turned into Pygmy Hippo area. Larger pool built outside. Small pool built in one of the old buffalo stalls. Warty Pig indoor area turned into aviary for African rainforest birds (Turaco, Congo Peacock, African Grey Parrots, Senegal Parrots). The house is planted and given a dense forest feel. The doors at the other end are opened up and a passage way to the old giraffe house is therefore opened up.
-Chimps: remain the same.
-Tropical Realm: stays largely the same, however vivariums for small rainforest mammals are included in the area that had been closed off, but is now re-opened. Red river hogs and capuchins remain outside. Galapagos tortoises moved out to Islands in Danger.
-Demolish sand-lizard enclosure, move the lizards off-show.
-Spirit of Jaguar: Jaguars remain in rainforest half, Ocelots move into savannah section which becomes planted as rainforest. The lawn directly outside is turned into a giant anteater enclosure. Anteater indoor quarters are inside the savannah drum of spirit of the jaguar. Parrots are moved to off-show parrot house, replaced by various Toucan species.
-Arara picnic lawn: Bush dogs have one enclosure, pudu and mara have another. Spider Monkey enclosure is built on the majority of the lawn.
-Realm of the Red Ape: remains largely the same, Clouded Leopard enclosure built on RoRA lawn. Sulawesi Crested Macaques mixed with Orangs and Gibbons. Babirusa are given the old Sumatran Orang Utan island which is deep-littered and tree stumps and bushes replace the climbing frame. The fence is raised and the moat becomes shallower.
-Flamingo Islands: Converted into Malayan Tapir and Proboscis Monkey mixed exhibit. If not proboscis monkeys, Javan Langurs instead.
-Lemur Islands: Both ruffed lemur species moved onto ring-tail island. Gentle Lemurs remain on their island. Anoa remain on their island. Sifaka move onto old ruffed lemur island.
-Cheetahs stay unchanged; Onagers mixed with Persian Goitered Gazelles. Camels moved to paddocks area.
-Penguins stay the same
-More sealions added to their pool.
-Aquarium: redeveloped, includes underwater viewing for sealions and a central tank for manatees. Amphibian House built offshow
-European aviary stays the same.
-Larger Lion and Tiger houses built.
-Red Pandas: remain in their area. Pudu moved to arara lawn. Old bongo paddock turned into Chinese mixed species exhibit containing Chinese water deer and Pere Davids Deer. Oriental short clawed otters remain. Crane exhibit turned into mixed species aviary including golden pheasants.
-Old bush dog and pudu enclosures turned into Parma wallaby enclosure and wombat enclosure respectively. Numbats move into the mongoose enclosure. Kea return to their old aviary and Kangaroos and Cassowary remain to form an Australasian themed area.
-Childrens farm: demolished and replaced by Coyote enclosure to create a small North American theme with prarie marmots nearby.
-Islands in Danger: has a Galapagos tortoise extension (in similar style to Dragons in Danger) on opposite side to the komodo extension. (i.e. extends onto the lawn).

Obviously some species of reptiles, small mammals, invertabrates and birds may come in and out of the collection.

My plan creates:
- An African Rainforest Zone: Ranging from the gorilla enclosure to the chimps. Species include gorillas, chimps, bongo, buffalo, pygmy hippo, okapi and red river hogs et al.
- A South American Rainforest Zone: Ranging from exit of Tropical Realm to Arara lawn. Species include Jaguars, Ocelot, Anteater, Spider Monkeys, Capuchins, toucans et al.
- A South East Asian Rainforest Zone: Ranging from Realm of the Red Ape to what was the flamingo exhibit. Species include Orang Utans, Gibbons, Babirusa, Tapir, Proboscis Monkey, Clouded Leopard, Sulawesi Macaques.
- An Oceania Area: Kangaroos, Wombats, Wallabies, Numbats, Cassowary.
- A China area: Red Panda, Pere David's Deer, Water Deer, Chinese birds.
- An African Savannah: Ranging from the old rhino house to what was the ostrich paddock. Species include rhinos, giraffe, zebra, ostrich, warthogs, flamingos, baboons, aardvarks et al.
- A cloud forest: Ranging from Tapir enclosure to the new condor aviary. Species include spectacled bears, coati, tapir, capybara, rhea, vicuna, guanaco, condors.
- Asian Steppes: Preszwalski Horses and Camels.
- Madagascar Islands: The re-arranged lemurs and Sifaka.
 
Last edited:
Right, my idea for chester would be to remove most of the animals the EVERY collection more or less keeps. try and be a little more creative (or sporadic some may say) in the zoning, basically just make it a little more interesting. im gonna post this in chunks as i need to tweek a few things but feel free to rip it to shreads/ comment etc

Basically for some of the "Zones" id much rather focus on one specific area of what most zoos would call a theme....that probably doesnt make sense so for example:

Instead of a "polar" theme, ive gone for an "alaskan" theme....not much difference but signage etc, would focus on specifics in this area.

(going off the zoo map)

Starting from the main entrance, and working our way through the west of the zoo, id remove the elephants!!!.

ZONE 1

turn the whole elephant enclosure into an Alaskan themed encloure ie, the ele house and half their outside paddock redeveloped for polar bears ( including their off show bull paddock)

the rest of the exhibit space would be given up for sea otter, walrus, arctic fox, and in the house arctic hare, and other small arctic mammals.

ZONE 2

Now, im basically re-arranging the whole of the zoo masterplan here but anyway. Id change the whole of the onager/camel. condor cliffs. coatis and old maned wolf enclosure into a Indian/Himalayan area.

Onagers and Camels:

Change this to an Indian Rhino exhibit, expanding it all the way back to the Lechwe. Include BlackBuck in with the Rhino's. Gaur, where the Lechwe were.

Condor cliffs:

remove the condors, replace with Sloth Bear, Gee's golden Langur and Indian Giant Squirrel, allow expansion into maned wolf exhibit for housing.

On Coati Island

Indian Pangolin, Indian Porcupine and Eurasian otters.

In the old maned wolf exhibit i would put Ratel and Rhesus Macaque. Ratel in front, in a sandy exhibit, explanation of burrows and "burrow cam" and macaques in background on a facade of a ruined temple.

ZONE 3

Giraffe, Okapi, Hogs and old Babirusa House.

Giraffe house:

would now contain Eastern Lowland Gorillas with inside viewing and access to the outside (with moat) also with an inside enclosure only would be Drill.

Okapi would stay where they where.

The old babirusa House (inside and out) would be given over to Congo Black hippo, including use of a section of the canal for bathing.

Also in a section of the house the house would also be congo clawless otters, with access to an outside area.


Red river hogs would stay the same. This area wold become "Zaire" and theoretically be an immersion exhibit, where barriers didnt seem to exist.- throughout this area, Mantled Guereza would wander "freely" above the visitors heads on ropes and platforms etc- also able to enter the hippos and gorilla exhibits.

moving on to the chimps and the tropical realm, i would replace chimps with Bonobo.

ZONE 3 part 2


The Tropical realm would be split in two, one half would house Reptiles and Avian species of Tropical Africa, the other a new exhibit based on nocturnal animals, not quite a nocturnal house, but a voyage around the world focusing on nocturnal species such as:

Europe:

Hedgehog, fox, Pipastrelle bat.

Asia:

Slow Loris, Fruit bat, Malayan Tapir

Africa:

Porcupine, bushbaby, african civet.

Australia:

Bilby, Wombat, Cous-cous, Chudditch, Possum.

ZONE 4

Jaguars- this would become the south American house, only the rainforest side would be left for the jaguars move to 1.1 instead of current population.

the other side of the exhibit would make way for:

Inside (split in 2)

One half would be for giant anteaters and squirrel monkey, with access to a bit of outside area. Other half would house Margay.

Outside are would house Jaguarundi.

Inside where guests walk thru would be re-built, more plants, etc false trees and free ranging capuchins/ marmosets would be in there.

Arara would be redesigned to be animal housing for an exhibit on the Picnic lawn. this would become the spectecled Bears and Coatis, along with giant otters. ( this exhibit would be extended behind the Arara building aswell)

ZONE 5

Realm of the red ape would stay the same, except only focus on Sumatran Orans. Add silvery gibbons to RORA.

lemur Island would become home to White cheeked gibbon and Binturong.

Flamingoes would be removed, in their place Pygmy Hippo, extra islands (only small ones) to be build to hold Proboscis monkeys and Sulawesi macaque.

Coluded leopard house to be build Near RORA, highly planted and darkened, focus exhibit, almost a "research centre"

Aquarium to be expanded and to become an Asian Mangroves exhibit.

it has above exhibit walkway going through it. exhibiting Dugong, tamaraw and a macaque species.

Penguin and sea lions removed, re-developed into fishing cat in old penguin area, sunken into ground lower than the exhibit is now.and a false gharial/ red shanked douc exhibit in old sea lion area, gahrials to the front of the exhibit, Douc on an island to the back. Behind the Island is a house the can be accessed by public for in house viewing of douc, also small mammals (rodent) on display in this house.

Thats the end of part 1.

part 2 will focus on Bongo, Red panda areas, Islands in danger, lions, tigers, twilight zone and Monkey house.

VIRTUALLY ALL TO CHANGE!

part 3 will focus on east side of the zoo, where the rhinos will NOT be anymore- well atleast most of them.

Comments would be appreciated.
 
Back
Top