Colchester zoo update » Colchester Zoo

28-03-2008

Can not understand why now Cotswold has achieved major breeding success with an endangered croc species, their offspring are being distributed among private breeders only. I would wish that with this species now would be the most favourable time to make business of setting up an EEP sponsorred breeding programme for Morelet's crocs (perhaps with an in situ link up to recovery efforts in their native Mexico).

Do you know which private breeders have received these and under which terms are they being loaned out?

28-03-2008

This issue really brings up a wider one about a distinct lack of crocodilian facilities in the UK (maybe europe?). Now the occasional breeding success of an endangered crocodile isn't so uncommon, we are rapidly realising that fairly large groups of offspring, which suddenly make a large percentage of the captive population related, will grow up to be large, adult crocodiles that are expensive to maintain and cannot all just be housed together. This is why you have zoos like drusillas with an incredibly small enclosure for their dwarf crocodiles (the pool is smaller than most garden ponds). That is subjective of course, but if you go and see it you'll maybe understand my point. Where do you put all those offspring you successfully bred? It kind of puts to shame Noah's ark zoo farm who opened a new exhibit for two baby north american alligators they had aquired, as well as all the tropical house type collections with spectacled caiman. Until now, only a few collections have had decent facilities, the new exhibits at paignton, chester, cromer and colchester will hopefully start a trend in better housing for crocodilians. Remember Colchester have the only slender-snouted crocodiles on show in the UK, maybe they will be moved to the new exhibit also?

Are captive-bred crocodilians relatively easy to release into the wild? For all the expense of new exhibits, 'farming' endangered crocodiles in their native countries seems to do the trick with breeding, rather than it being a rare event as with western european zoos.

28-03-2008

It may well have something to do with the fact that they are all owned by private collectors and only the fact that Cotswold got them together on long term breeding loan that,its been possible to breed from them,i know some of the private keepers but not all not sure under what terms they have been sent out under.

29-03-2008

OK, that makes it look a lot more favourable. It is high time that zoos and private zoo keepers come to a good cooperation in breeding endangered species. The realisation that imports are finite and that we do need to breed the species in our care if we are to avert a worldwide biodiversity crisis.

I wish that more reptilarians would follow this wonderful example (I know a Fiji banded iguana group from which individuals have entered the zoo community). Hopefully, the sire and dams can be re-bred soon and augment the captive Morelet's group. It would be nice to set up a cooperative agreement with the Mexican authorities on in situ conservation and cooperation with the Guadalajara or Puebla Zoos.

07-10-2008

Colchesters two female aardvark have been given ultrasound tests and both are found to be pregnant.
Puq is in the early stages of pregnancy and Oq could be due anytime soon.
This is great news for the European studbook, but surely we are getting to the point where we are needing fresh blood in the European programme.

07-10-2008

Would you know how many are in the EEP studbook? or how many are in the UK?

08-10-2008

Baby aardvarks yay

08-10-2008

Blackpool recently got a pair, and apart from Colchester that's it! I believe Suffolk still have a couple of elderly animals - but I think they might both be the same sex. So yes, some new blood in the UK aardvark population would be very welcome!!!

09-10-2008

Suffolk have 1.2 aardvarks all of which I think are reasonably young new stock .

27-01-2009

Aardvark born at the zoo January 14th.

Colchester Zoo News: More Aardvark Breeding Success at the Zoo!

28-01-2009

WE ARE HAVING A BABY ELEPHANT yipeeeeeee lol

Colchester Zoo News: Opal the Elephant confirmed pregnant on the 10th anniversary of her arrival at Colchester Zoo!

Opal is pregnant due April 2010 !!!

28-01-2009

Why did they try AI on her when the bull is in the same zoo?

Great news by the way.

28-01-2009

I dont know it kind of spoils the fun of it for them

Tembo is always in a separate paddock maybe hes to grumpy to mix!! ??

28-01-2009

The article says that Tembo has fathered four calves,

• Two naturally at Cholchester
• Two through AI at two different european zoos

28-01-2009

am i the only one thinking the date of the announcement is more than coincidence? Colchester Zoo didnt "rescue" Opal, Temo and Rosa, they bought them off mary chipperfield before the case even went to court. methinks colchester zoo was waiting for the anniversary of chipperfields conviction to announce this. dont get me wrong i like zoos but surely elephants shouldnt be kept anymore. US zoos are getting rid of them and a lot of british ones are and thats the way forward.