Chester Zoo
At last a zoo to compete with Nuremburg and Pilsn, in both diversity of collection and exhibit quality.
My first visit to Chester was 29 years ago much has changed! However great to still see so many original buildings, walls barriers and islands. These were built with such quality and expertise that there has a been no need to destroy them.
I did chat with a man who worked at Chester in the 60's (at Zoo Historica, thank you Tim ) he told me that Mr Mottershead believed that a zoo building should actually only last for 10 years as advancement in husbandry was so rapid that they would be out of date in 10 years! What a brilliant concept.
Entrance through main gate, it's a overcast day with light rain, so hopefully not allot of visitors and the animals will be interested in me as l am in them, and my expectations are high!
first exhibit Asian Elephants, a decent size with heaps of enrichment and two young. Then off l go repeatedly getting lost and and discovering great exhibits and active animals.
The giant otter female with two young live in a beautiful large enclosure that was actually the old seal pool. Gotta love Giant Otters.
While touring the zoo l actually met a lovely lady who supplied Chester zoo with here South American animals in the 50's and 60's we toured the zoo together and l heard allot of stories on Chester Zoo it's director and animals it was brilliant!
After looking at pictures of Real Of The Red Ape l was expecting to be disappointed. Totally the opposite the buildings were originally connived to have plants but they never got the chance to establish and the orangs destroyed all.
The large building is separated into several interconnected huge indoor and large outdoor areas, all with an abundance of enrichment. What was very good and seen so rarely in zoos is that there was a abundance of opportunities indoor and outdoor for the primates to swing Iike Tarzan and the 3 times l visited the area l saw them doing this particularly the young it was very good!
Like Brookfield they also provide indoor sprinklers (rain) for enrichment, ironically it was raining outside and inside at one point, maybe it is on a timer?
The two luckiest Jaguars in captivity live in large indoor and outdoor exhibits, they were however both pacing in separate enclosures on all 3 visits. I am now convinced enrichment needs to evolve further.
In the rain l took the river boat tour, a slight difference to Hanover (LOL) it was interesting to me but I think they could do lot more. They do have the monorail (totally unnecessary IMHO) for something more modern, although it looks tired and is a little frustrating as you buy. Ticket and it only takes you 1/2 way, you then have to get off, go around buy another ticket to complete the journey.
A large walk through bat exhibit was a amazing experience, there was only me and the keeper in the exhibit. The exhibit is a huge building maybe 60 ft high with app 500 bats. There is a Walk through tunnel in the exhibit that if you stand there for a moment the bats fly all around you, just like the batman movie scene! Fortunately at that particular time keepers were cleaning out there regular roosting space so they were extra active. Having hundreds of little bats fly around you is an experience not to be missed !
I loved Chester Zoo and it truly deserves its excellent reputation.
At last a zoo to compete with Nuremburg and Pilsn, in both diversity of collection and exhibit quality.
My first visit to Chester was 29 years ago much has changed! However great to still see so many original buildings, walls barriers and islands. These were built with such quality and expertise that there has a been no need to destroy them.
I did chat with a man who worked at Chester in the 60's (at Zoo Historica, thank you Tim ) he told me that Mr Mottershead believed that a zoo building should actually only last for 10 years as advancement in husbandry was so rapid that they would be out of date in 10 years! What a brilliant concept.
Entrance through main gate, it's a overcast day with light rain, so hopefully not allot of visitors and the animals will be interested in me as l am in them, and my expectations are high!
first exhibit Asian Elephants, a decent size with heaps of enrichment and two young. Then off l go repeatedly getting lost and and discovering great exhibits and active animals.
The giant otter female with two young live in a beautiful large enclosure that was actually the old seal pool. Gotta love Giant Otters.
While touring the zoo l actually met a lovely lady who supplied Chester zoo with here South American animals in the 50's and 60's we toured the zoo together and l heard allot of stories on Chester Zoo it's director and animals it was brilliant!
After looking at pictures of Real Of The Red Ape l was expecting to be disappointed. Totally the opposite the buildings were originally connived to have plants but they never got the chance to establish and the orangs destroyed all.
The large building is separated into several interconnected huge indoor and large outdoor areas, all with an abundance of enrichment. What was very good and seen so rarely in zoos is that there was a abundance of opportunities indoor and outdoor for the primates to swing Iike Tarzan and the 3 times l visited the area l saw them doing this particularly the young it was very good!
Like Brookfield they also provide indoor sprinklers (rain) for enrichment, ironically it was raining outside and inside at one point, maybe it is on a timer?
The two luckiest Jaguars in captivity live in large indoor and outdoor exhibits, they were however both pacing in separate enclosures on all 3 visits. I am now convinced enrichment needs to evolve further.
In the rain l took the river boat tour, a slight difference to Hanover (LOL) it was interesting to me but I think they could do lot more. They do have the monorail (totally unnecessary IMHO) for something more modern, although it looks tired and is a little frustrating as you buy. Ticket and it only takes you 1/2 way, you then have to get off, go around buy another ticket to complete the journey.
A large walk through bat exhibit was a amazing experience, there was only me and the keeper in the exhibit. The exhibit is a huge building maybe 60 ft high with app 500 bats. There is a Walk through tunnel in the exhibit that if you stand there for a moment the bats fly all around you, just like the batman movie scene! Fortunately at that particular time keepers were cleaning out there regular roosting space so they were extra active. Having hundreds of little bats fly around you is an experience not to be missed !
I loved Chester Zoo and it truly deserves its excellent reputation.
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