Any orangutans updates » Chester Zoo

16-07-2008

Am not surprised they are going to build the additional phase, it is improving the quality that the orangutans live in, because the bornean orangs have to use the old house.

Where as the aquarium is adequate for its occupants, but is not great when viewed from the visitors. Chester has its priorities right I believe in this case. Plus although they built it in phase they did so because of finding temporary homes for the orangutans would be differ cult, plus am sure they have made sure they had the money for the whole enclosure but just couldn't be built that way.

16-07-2008

When I went last autumn, there seemed to be adequate space for the existing orangs of both species. There are already the two huge outdoor enclosures(the Sumatrans seemed to have access to both) while the Borneans were using the other part of the RORA indoor areas- though I could see that their dens were still in the old building. I wonder if Phase two will simply give them modern indoor areas, or will it be on the scale of Phase 1 with more outdoor enclosures too?

If the Sumatrans are to permanently have both the existing outdoor enclosures that means they must plan to have two groups, at least doubling what they have now? In that case I wonder if Phase 2 will match it for a similar number of Borneans.

How many orangs is the whole thing(1&2) being designed for?

16-07-2008

Phase two will create similar 3 indoor enclosures that the sumatrans have at the moment, with an additional outdoor enclosure.

I believe the total number planned to be held was around 15, Someone mentioned it here but please could someone either confirm or correct me.

They rotate the indoor enclosure alot because of the destructive nature of the orangutans, so I doubt they would house more than one group of each species, just serval females and offspring and a breeding male.

16-07-2008

Okay so a 'group' of one adult male, two/three females and their offspring for each species(say 7+) three outdoor enclosures between the two species.

I think even with rotation,the animals will continue to wreck the plantings in the indoor areas which they used more, and will continue doing so.. the less used outdoor areas are very well established already.

17-07-2008

As long as chester are happy with them paying out for more foliage it makes great enrichment for the orangutans. Hopefully the outdor area are now established enough that they should last.

The second phase will create 3 more indoor enclosures like that on the sumartran side and their plenty of opportunities to rotate the orangutans and give them a slighty different environment by planting different plants.

17-07-2008

According to the plan which I posted earlier, there will be 6 outdoor enclosures (The two current ones, the two netted ones and two new non-netted ones). There will be 3 indoor areas adjoining the netted enclosures, so perhaps each species will get one each (therefore 3 outdoor exhibits each and 3 indoor each).

17-07-2008

Here is the link again to the completed realm of the red ape...

http://www.ukplanning.com/chester/do...thumbnail=true

17-07-2008

I would gather that would be the plan leaving lots of room to rotate and possible seperate the if needs be without keeping them loocked up in dens