Chester Zoo EAZA Ape Campaign Special Event - Saturday 19th February 2011

We’re pleased to announce details of a special event to support the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Ape Campaign, organised in association with Chester Zoo.

The event, which will take place on Saturday 19th February 2011, is a unique and exciting opportunity to tour Chester Zoo’s on- and off-show primate facilities in the company of Curator of Mammals, Tim Rowlands, Primate Team Leader Andrew Lenihan and Dr. Nick Davis, the zoo’s specialist in applied animal behaviour and animal welfare. Tim, Andrew and Nick will answer questions about Chester’s collection, the zoo’s primate facilities and in situ conservation work.

The day will begin at 10:30am adjacent to the Guest Services Pavilion (inside the main entrance) and highlights will include:

• Behind-the-scenes visit to Realm of the Red Ape - orangutans and gibbons
• A visit to the off-show ape house - Bornean orangutans
• Behind-the-scenes in the chimpanzee kitchen
• A viewing of the historic (disused) ape dens in the Tropical Realm - former home of chimps, orangs and gorillas
• Behind-the-scenes tour of Monkey Islands - Sulawesi crested maquacue, mandrill, lion-tailed macaque and Colombian spider monkeys
• A visit to the zoo’s new off-show callitrichid breeding facility (outside only)
• Lunch in the staff canteen above the Fountain Shop
• Some poo to fling (not really)

The cost of the day is £25 per person, with all the money raised going directly to the EAZA Ape Campaign. Please note that this amount does not include entry to the zoo or any food purchased from the staff canteen. Payments must be received by Wednesday, 16th February 2011.

Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, please send me a private message (PM) via the forum, providing your full name and a contact telephone number, and whether or not you’ll be eating lunch. Successful applicants will receive a confirmation and instructions on how to pay via PM.

Please note that there are a number of important terms and conditions associated with this event:

• Participants must be over twelve years of age
• Participants under sixteen years of age must be accompanied by an adult who is also paying to take part in the event and will be with you at all times
• Carers are considered to be a second attendee
• Due to the zoo’s strict bio-security measures, anyone with an illness on the day - including the common cold and influenza - will not be allowed to take part in any of the off-show elements
• In certain facilities, bio-hazard clothing must be worn by all participants. It will be supplied by the zoo but please let us know if you have any special requirements
• Photography will be prohibited in certain areas
• All participants will be asked to pose for a group photograph for EAZA and the zoo’s own promotional material, but individuals will not be identified

The time at which the event ends may vary, so please keep that in mind when making travel arrangements or letting your family or carers know where you are.

The aim of the EAZA campaign is to make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes and their habitats by working with individuals and member organisations to improve their survival and leave a lasting legacy for ape conservation. In addition to raising awareness about the major threats to the survival of apes in the wild, the EAZA Ape Campaign also aims to raise funds to support ape conservation projects that include Awely Green Caps in the Democratic Republic of Congo, FFI Cao Vit Gibbon Conservation Project in China, the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme in Malaysian Borneo and the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon.

We’d like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of this event, especially Tim Rowlands and the staff at Chester Zoo who have donated their time and allowed us to have such unprecedented access to the zoo’s facilities.

 

To say I'm excited is an under statement. I've PMed hope I get a place.

Big thank you to everyone involved in organising this event - on zoo chat and at the zoo. I'm sure it's not been easy to do. Chester are certainly leading the way with these amazing events

 

This really does sound fantastic! I have sent you a PM SMR.

 

PM's sent from me and AgileGibbon

 

Ciaran and I would love to come if possible ....

 

I really wish i could go but my visit isn't until the 26th Feb

 

Sounds amazing just wish my current financial situation would allow me to attend But wish everybody who attends a fantastic day. Very envious.

 

When I did the keeper for the day I practically went into quarantine for a couple of weeks, terrified I'd catch something before the day. This did not seem such an overreaction when hearing about the terrible illness the chimps had last winter.

I'm really excited and thank you to everyone at the zoo who have worked hard to make it happen and are making time for us, not forgetting SMRs hard work.

What a brilliant event! Tuan the man, here we come!

 

Do you know which areas these will be, I'm hoping that this will not be in the old orang house since I'm hoping to get pictures of Tuan and some shots of the house interior, but if it is one of the areas I'm sure I'll get over it

 

I never to seem to have time to take pics on the walk and talks. I get to the end of the day and think 'why didn't I take any pictures?'

 

I did the same on Tim's last walk and talk, but I got a considerable amount on Andrew's simply because many things were species I was noticing for the first time at the zoo.

If photos are allowed in the old orang house though, I will find a spare minute to take pics, I've been looking online for long enough and only found a couple

 

Change of mind im coming YAAAY!See you there

 

Sometimes photography gets in the way, I've got some pics of me with the lemurs but otherwise I just enjoyed the keeper for the day experience, taking photos would have wasted precious primate time!

 

Just to keep everyone in the loop, almost half the places we have available have now been taken, so please act quickly if you haven't already sent me a PM and are planning to attend.

Once we reach our maximum number of places there will be a reserve list, but there's no guarantee anyone upon it will actually be able to come on the day.

 

PM sent and my hearty thanks for the organising, cajoling or whatever was needed and here's to some much needed funds for the EAZA campaign! The Apes may well be scarred for life if they get to see me in a Bio Hazard Suit - I'm warning you folks it will NOT be pretty :O)

 

I would really love to come out but a 2-week notice is to short for me to make the necessary arrangements and make it worth our while financially. Can you hold that one for next ..?

 

Excellent news!
I hope this will eventually become a model for future events at other EAZA zoos. If everything goes to plan, it's a win-win-win situation for Chester and EAZA and the ZooChatters.
Is karoocheetah's warning the reason for the photography restrictions?

Alan

 

[QUOTEIs karoocheetah's warning the reason for the photography restrictions?

Alan[/QUOTE]

LoL - Cheeky!

and that's just an added bonus for you sneaky buggers with ultra wide angle lenses

 

David and I would love to go, but we are not very passionate about the apes. Sounds a great day though! Hope all enjoy!

 

Annoyingly, I'll have to pass as I've got to work that weekend. Hope it goes well, though!