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Dudley Zoological Gardens Chimps, Bears or Orangs?

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Benosaurus, 4 Jan 2018.

?

Which option will / would you vote for?

  1. Option 1 - Chimps

    2.9%
  2. Option 2 - Bears

    14.3%
  3. Option 3 - Orangs

    82.9%
  1. Benosaurus

    Benosaurus Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Last year Dudley zoo announced a plan to spend £250,000 on one of three newly proposed major projects in 2018. The zoo allowed the public to decide which one of the three options would go ahead first by allowing visitors, who added the 10% voluntary donation to their entrance fee, to vote for which option is their favourite.

    The three options for the 2017 vote were, the Chimp project, the Bear project or the Tiger project.


    The chimp project was a plan to adapt the outdoor enclosure fencing, which would enable the zoo to introduce males to the all-female group. The plan was also to extend the climbing frame and create additional viewing areas.

    The Bear project was a plan to reinstate brown bears back into the Bear Ravine Tecton. A large climbing frame would be built, as well as new separate housing at the far end.

    The Tiger project was a plan to extend the Sumatran tiger enclosure across the rear bank, completely demolish the old dens and build new housing with indoor viewing. More climbing frames and platforms would also be built, along with more outdoor viewing areas.


    Voting continued for the rest of the year.

    Once the December 31st deadline had been reached the votes were counted and the zoo revealed that the public had voted for the Tiger project as their winner.

    Work on the Tiger project will start in September 2018.



    So that’s it then? End of story?

    Nope. Following the success of the token voting system in 2017, the zoo is restarting it again for 2018 and doing another vote. The public will again decide which one of three options is their favourite.

    The two losing projects from last year, the Bear project and the Chimp project, will remain as options. However, this time the third option is the Orang project.

    The orang project was announced separately last year. They are aiming to raise £800,000, by 2020, to build a brand-new orang enclosure. The large, much needed, new exhibit will replace the entire hunting dog enclosure. The new enclosure will be roughly oval-shaped; 26m at its widest point and 48m at its longest point. It will be a covered enclosure and the orangs will be joined by the lar gibbons, who will be getting a new house. They have so far raised over £215k.

    If the orang project wins the 2018 vote then the addition funds will be put into that and the zoo is hopeful they will then be able to reach their £800,000 target a year earlier than the planned 2020, meaning work will start sooner.


    So the new options for the 2018 vote are:

    Option 1. Adapting the CHIMP enclosure fencing to enable the zoo to introduce males to the current all-female group, as well as extending the climbing frame and creating more viewing areas.

    Option 2. Reinstating BROWN BEARS into the restored Bear Ravine Tecton, alongside new dens and climbing frames.

    Option 3. Putting the funds into the ORANGUTAN enclosure project (see above), enabling the zoo to reach their £800,000 target a year earlier.


    Last year, for the 2017 vote between the chimps, tigers and bears, I did a poll to find out which option us zoochatters would vote for. The chimp and bear options were tied with 41.4% of the vote each. Funnily enough, despite winning the real public vote, the tiger option came a definitive third place with just 17.2% of the vote.

    However, many people, including myself, said last year that if there was an option to put all the money straight into the orang enclosure then they’d vote for that. Well now there is. (Although there is still some frustration as to why the zoo is doing another vote and not just putting the money towards the orangs anyway).

    Therefore, I’ve decided to create another poll, this time for the 2018 vote between the chimps, tigers and orangs, to see which option zoochatters vote for this time.


    The same rules apply as last year…

    It would be preferable if only zoochatters who are at least slightly familiar with Dudley Zoo, it's situation and the enclosures concerned were to vote in this poll.

    Voters are able to change their mind.
    Votes will be displayed publicly.
    The poll will close after 7 days.

    Once again, happy voting.
     
    Last edited: 4 Jan 2018
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  2. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I've gone for (drum roll please) orang's! Mainly because it's an eyesore and if anyone deserves a new enclosure it's those guys! :p
     
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  3. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I have never been to Dudley, but I am familiar with the exhibits from pictures. The orangutan enclosure is one of the ugliest I have ever seen and the concept for the new one sounds great! That is why I voted for orangutans.
     
  4. pipaluk

    pipaluk Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The pictures don't lie!!
     
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  5. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I voted for orang utan, could it ... be any more obbvious ... o_O.

    A but being, that I do think all 3 species in focus are somewhat of a priority with me preferring bears (2nd) over chimp (3rd). Just with the bears I would be far more keen on f.i. sun bear as a focal species with a conservation message than the planned for browns.
     
  6. Benosaurus

    Benosaurus Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    This poll will close in less than 24hrs, so this is your last chance to vote if you haven't already.
    Those who have already voted are free to change their vote if they wish to.

    @Kifaru Bwana are you sure you've voted? I can't see your name listed.
     
  7. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Thanks, you were right. I thought I had, ... but really forgot to vote.
    Now, I stand corrected and another vote (counts in).
     
  8. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I've pretty much given up on the idea they will ever change the chimps or add males to the group.:( When I saw this enclosure last year, which is perfectly adequate for the existing group, I thought maybe it was already too late and not so important for this ageing group of females anyway, though they are naturally more inactive without males present.
     
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  9. Benosaurus

    Benosaurus Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The zoo needs to stop this time wasting, token voting nonsense, with an equal £250k spend for each project, and just spend money where money is needed.

    All the chimp group needs is a few males added. All that requires is a new fence, which I imagine would cost considerably less than £250k.
    They really do not need a bigger climbing frame or more viewing areas, which is what increases the cost.

    Say a new chimp fence cost something like £50k. I'd build the fence, add the males, then put the remaining £200k into the Orang project (which has urgently needed doing for a very long time).

    Then, when possible, start work on the bear ravine project. This will draw in the crowds and hopefully make a bit of money back.
     
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  10. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Why not let one of the HM Regiment's like Royal Engineers Corps do some field work?
    Saves costs and manpower ..., and the boys and girls can get their teeth gritted into some fieldwork!
     
  11. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    They have been discussing the Chimpanzee 'fence' for so many years now-virtually ever since the last male Pepe died in the 1990's(?) or at least giving that reason as to why there are no males, but with no result, that I now believe they will probably never achieve it. There seems no determination within the zoo to get this done, unless anything has changed recently.

    I agree overall the Orangutan accomodation is the most pressing to update. Unlike the chimps,they seem to be keen to achieve this and it will no doubt happen, sooner rather than later.

    While the renovation of the Bear Ravine to make it fit for Bears again would give the Zoo a valuable new exhibit.

    But instead they are revamping the Tigers because that won a popular vote, though is actually least in need of fresh work done.
     
    Last edited: 11 Jan 2018
  12. pipaluk

    pipaluk Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    So the voting is about to close. No shock really, the Orangs at Dudley have by some distance the worst outdoor exhibit in the uk!

    Shame that tigers won the vote at the zoo last year, because that will add little to the zoo in terms of attracting visitors.., totally pointless, I hope the zoo learn from that, maybe they haven't ! The bear ravine would have done more in attracting visitors in my opinion and the knock on effect might have been more beneficial to the 'desperate' Orangs in terms of funding. I think the chimps are beyond improvement now, no breeding is likely.
     
    Last edited: 11 Jan 2018
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  13. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I agree that bear refurb is rather higher up the command chain than tiger. Allthough, collection- wise I would hope they would stick to Asian bear species (and not brown bears) and the best candidate would given their Bornean orang utan and, Sumatran tiger already at Dudley Zoo obviously be the sun bear.

    Why sun bear: well, both the sun bear EEP and the species in general remain in dire straits and the EEP really could do with a rejuvenation of sorts (several other zoo regions do actually have some good young candidates for breeding available too ..., if all else ...). Also: the EEP coordinator is doing her utmost to get the EEP back on the road and on target and so ..., the EEP would need new zoos interested and commited to this endangered bear taxon.
     
  14. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I would still think they would choose Brown Bears. The size and scale of the ravine area is such that Sun Bears would be pretty dwarfed by their surroundings in there.
     
  15. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

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    My dream would be that they spend the tiger money adapting and enlarging the other half of the Polar Bear Tecton so that it could hold Sun bears (the one currently holding Howler monkeys). Then in the fullness of time the Bear Ravine could be developed for Moon Bears (Asiatic Black).

    I voted for Chimps incidentally....
     
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  16. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Yes, no reason why they could not exhibit more than one Bear species if the enclosures were made suitable.