indian rhino » Chester Zoo

indian rhino
12-08-2007

ok - un-herad of, but one of the convicts is asking about a mother-land zoo(almost as good as ours!)

i was wondering about chester zoo and it's indian rhino- baically everything - the site has no info other than new exhibit, but i think it would be open now, the site seems very dated, so yea, pics, info anything would be kool,

help a convict son out

12-08-2007

Well, the exhibit wasn't really designed for the rhino an older one was modified for it. It lives in one of the zoos largest paddocks, a mixed species exhibit that housed Barasingha, Chital, Blackbuck and perhaps Burmese Brow-antlered deer. The commoner deer species were taken out, I know the blackbuck stayed and maybe one other. The rhino lives in a mixed species exhibit with these.

The fences were secured all round. They've done this using vertical posts that are too close for the rhino to squeeze through. At one end is an area where I think only the deer can access. The original paddock already had a pond but the zoo also added a wallow. This is as deep as the rhino is tall real and so only its head sticks out and a tiny bit of it's back. Its heated by infra-red lamps. I think it was paid for partly by the clothing brand Ecko Unltd. who use a rhino as their logo. I'm not sure what indoor facilities the rhino's have but I presume they modified and strengthened some indoor pens in the big deer stable.

The weeks after the rhino came were some of the wettest we've had in the last 100 years and although the zoo didn't flood this paddock got incredibly trampled and really muddy. I dread to think what it'll be like come winter.

As far as I know the male has not been joined by a female yet.

I do have some pictures which I'll upload asap.

I've tried to modify a map in the meantime if that means anything.

Attached Images

RHINO.JPG (74.7 KB, 10 views)

12-08-2007

thanbks mate, i downlaoded that map, but couldnt see the rhino there, so is there support facilities, and is teh fmeale on site?

how long this exhibit been oppen?

thanks mate!

12-08-2007

The female is due to arrive from Basel in September. The exhibit was being renevayed in January, and I first saw it on the 28th of may. I'm not sure when it first opened though.

13-08-2007

Here's a photo of the wallow for you Zoo_Boy.

It's interesting that where many use the common name Indian Rhino, or more formally Indian One-Horned Rhino, Chester call theirs a Greater One-Horned Rhino.

13-08-2007

The exhibit opened on 10th April. On the map Chris posted is a house where it says Philippine Spotted Deer. This was heavily modified to provide secure accommodation for rhinos, and has an offshow paddock adjacent to the deer enclosure. I've never seen the rhino interact with either the deer or the blackbuck.

A map of the enclosure has recently been erected together with new information boards for each of the three species.

The name Greater One-horned Rhinoceros was invented by the Zoological Society of London, on the grounds that the species also lived in Nepal, and it would be insulting to Nepalese people if it were called the Indian Rhinoceros. I'm sure people in Nepal have more important things to think about. I will always call it the Indian Rhinoceros, it's what I'm used to.

This area of the zoo was developed in the early 1960s and for many years housed a herd of Ankole Cattle. Small pens were built along the western side by the pathway to house the zoo's collection of Arabian Gazelles, duikers and large birds. A larger enclosure occupied the part of the field where the existing pool is and housed Sitatunga and geese, and I have a vague memory of seeing Chilean flamingos there also. I can't say for certain though.

In the early 1980s the area was cleared of livestock owing to the discovery of Johne's disease (the animal equivilent of human Crohn's disease) in the Ankole herd. The field was left fallow for a year or two and it was proposed to develop it as an African savannah enclosure with eland, ostrich and kudu. This was later changed to an Asian enclosure as it is today.

13-08-2007

So this enclosure, like the elephants of the asian forest, opened on the 10th of April. My birthday!!!

The philippine spotted deer have no acess to the rhino do they?

13-08-2007

This paddock is much the same size as Whipsnade's original Indian Rhino paddock (in the centre of the Park) used to be. Originally grass pasture, it became one huge mud wallow after a very short space of time, and remained so most of the years the rhinos( always two) used it. So a pair using a similar space at Chester are likely to turn that into a similar 'Morass' pretty quickly too. I think they will soon be forced to remove any remaining deer/blackbuck etc as a result.

13-08-2007

No, but the blackbuck and brow-antlered deer can access the rhino area.

13-08-2007

tnaks so much guys! in oz wecall ours greater one horned.

i alsway belived it to be greater one horn, in opposition to the javan, who is also known as the lesser one horned rjhino of asia!

13-08-2007

i ademantly stick to indian rhino.
nobody calls javan rhino "lesser one-horned rhino" do they?

13-08-2007

Thats a good point Pat, Indian rhino sounds better

13-08-2007

and whilst "greater one-horned rhino" is accurate (so long as you call the javan the "lesser" like i said..) the term "indian" is actually more accurate than calling a sumatran a sumatran and a javan a javan when both species have historic (and currently remnant existing) ranges well outside those islands.

indian rhinos are restricted to the indian subcontinent (and that includes nepal).... makes sense to me and its damn easier to say!!!!!!