This is the Chester Zoo thread for major news, which is defined as news which can (and should) be linked to, either on Chester's website, social media, or other news sites. If you want to post news items you have observed yourself they should go here: Chester Zoo - Chester Zoo Reports 2019
Two Socorro Dove chicks hatched at the zoo. Chester Zoo | Zoo News | Extinct Birds Hatch at Chester Zoo
Chester is surprisingly going to be the next zoo to carry on the unusual new trend of exhibiting LEGO animals around the zoo. 12 big cats made from LEGO will be on show in the Dragons in Danger garden and 9 other animals will be located elsehwherearound the zoo. Big Cats made with LEGO® bricks
Don't think it's surprising really, after the dinosaurs and the insects. More surprised Chester wasn't the first zoo to show them.
The zoo has announced 2018 was a record breaking year, nearly 2 million visitors recorded. Not said actual figure, just that t It's a record
Visitor numbers to Chester Zoo hit record high | West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Just over 30000 short of 2 million visitors last year
Or as I like to call it, just 32 fewer than 1,000 minus 200 and 30,000 less than 2,000,000. Umm... I think I lost myself there. The zoo, and most other people would probably write 1,969,768.
Chester have released a news item about the developments coming this year, including (in order of expected opening): - Lego: Big Cats (Wednesday 13th February-Tuesday 30th April 2019) - The new Madagascar zone (from Easter 2019) - Predators - animatronic models of prehistoric predators (May-September 2019) - The new Asiatic lion enclosure (from Autumn 2019) More information about these projects is included in the link below: Chester Zoo | Zoo News | Plans for 2019
I'm pleased to see they are finally doing a naturalistic 'Gir Forest'-type habitat for the Asian Lions. I've always thought Chester's Lion enclosure, being unimproved over many years, didn't exhibit them to the best advantage. I am sure they will do something good for them now, and hopefully better than London's!
I've always thought Chester's lion enclosure is ok. Certainly better than several others I can think of(particularly given its age):London, Bristol, Colchester for a start. Regarding the 'forest ' comment, at least it has more trees than some!
'OK' is how I'd rate Chester Lion enclosure too, its spacious enough but its dated now and rather out of step with so many of their more recent and landscaped enclosures, which is why I welcome a new development for them at this time. I'm expecting something much better... the thing with Gir Forest is it can be replicated quite easily with sand, boulders and some acacia- type saplings.
I also have no major problem with Chester's lion exhibit, and in fact my only quibble with it is that it's visible from all four sides, so therefore isn't ideal when it comes to privacy. But for an enclosure of its age it holds up bloody well!
It does but Chester have plenty of money to spend on lovely new enclosures so I think a new one for the Lions now isn't out of place...
Paignton haven't yet announced their 'exciting things happening in 2019', but at least the dinosaurs won't be arriving while they're at Chester
This was Paignton's Christmas message: "Paignton Zoo and the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust have been names in conservation for decades, working hard to prevent the extinction of threatened species both in the UK and overseas; but times are changing and so are we. Watch this space for exciting things happening in 2019." In view of the ban on moving mammals, maybe this means the arrival of dinosaurs, Lego models or even Twycross's crocheted lions (wherever they might be now!)
To be fair, they were quite an impressive spectacle (better than almost all the exhibits in the zoo at the time) though I'm struggling to imagine where they'd put them at Paignton given their size.