Part of the Mandrill exhibit at Colchester 29/11/09

I have seen it but 1 pretty good enclosure doesn`t make up for all the rest that I don`t like,sorry but on Colchester for the time been I will have to disagree with all you Colchester fans!

that fine zoogiraffe. Some people even dislike things at Chester!

And yet the majority of Chester's primate exhibits are far superior to this, Colchester's best.

I couldn`t agree with you more on that,I`m the first to admit Chester not perfect but then again no zoo is!!!

Actually I would say the Colobus enclosure is better than this,but this is alot better now they have got rid of the childrens playground equipment that used to be in it.

Overall I think the Chester Zoo primate exhibits are more impressive than those at Colchester. But I wouldn't say the majority of primate facilities at Chester are "far superior" to this 1.

I think this 1 and the black and white colobus monkey enclosure are 2 exhibits which are as good as the majority of Chester's primate exhibits IMO. Colchester are very noatable for their breeding success of mandrills having the largest in Britain.

Loving your new avatar Zooleopard!

Perhaps, but I would argue that most of chester's are more lush, have less obvious barriers and do not include that garish mock-rock. Perhaps "far superior" is too strong, but I certainly don't think this as good as ROTRA, Monkey Islands, Miniature Monkeys, Lemur Islands, Chimpanzee Forest etc despite the interesting social dynamics of the large group.

Chester Zoo's primate exhibits are all impressive. They are natuaralistic. But personally I would say Colchester is the better zoo to see mandrills mainly owing to its breeding success. But ROTRA Chester's best primate exhibit IMO is even better than this. That is just large, lush and you'd far more oftern see orangutans up than down! Although I've only seen it once. But I'm they were all up then.

Chester's group is now catching up with Cholchester after they had 3 new females arrive a year or so ago!

Much as I adore ROTRA, I probably prefer the outdoor enclosures in Monkey Islands as they are so lush and don't have the ugly green fence; this, in my opinion, makes Chester the better place to observe mandrills. Still, each to their own.