Chester Zoo Any orangutans updates

As i heard all 3 boreans were aspected pregnant has this been confrimed ?

any other news form the orange guys ?

 

There was a baby sumatran Orang earlier this year to emma.

Sibu has returned from Alphenheul and will be paired with a new female soon.

I don't know about the Bornean females, sorry...

 

I was going to find out if the Bornean pregnancies had been comfirmed when I visited on Tuesday, but I forgot to ask.

Sibu is getting a mate in August, if they get along both will be leaving for another collection. After that phase 2 of RORA will be constructed, improving the accommodation for the Bornean Orangs.

I did not see Sibu myself on Tuesday but apparently he likes to sit at the top of his tree and watch the world go by. So he should be easy to spot.

 

He is very easy to spot (especially from the pathway from the chimps or by the flamingos). I've got quite a few photos of him from just 2 visits. He also appears quite fond of the good old-fashioned mail sacks and likes to rest under them from the climbing frame's platform.

[photo=6615;557;DSCF2666.JPG]Sibu[/photo]

 

Sibu's fence

Does anyone know exactly why they built that heavy palisade fence around his enclosure? My guess is to keep the public further away both to give him privacy and prevent feeding, but maybe there's some other reason?

Presumably its only a temporary measure until he leaves the zoo and reconstruction begins...

 

I think it may be something to do with the quarantine rules.

Once Sibu and his mate have left the whole area will be redeveloped in much the same way as the existing RORA exhibits.

 

Just wanted to get people thoughts/inside information on this, Do you think that the second phase of RORA has meant other larger projects like the new aquarium being put on hold taken also the economically factors into consideration as well.

The second phase is likely to cost at least £1million (roughly based on a third of the size and a lot more demolition work).

 

Plans have been drawn up for the new aquarium on the original site, but it may now be built on the site of the old bird house and the round aviary. The preferred option is the first one on the existing site. A raised walkway is planned around the new aquarium allowing visitors to look down on the sealions, penguins and flamingos.

 

Sorry but being a younger member on these boards, but where were the old bird house and the round aviary??

Thanks for the information

 

The parrot house was opposite the ibis aviary on the orang-utan house. One round aviary can be found near the dragons in danger garden and they were originally a pair of aviarys but one was demolished for ROTRA.

EDit: unless bongorob was referring to the bird corridor, which is attached to Islands in Danger.

Edit again: just realised the 2nd round aviary might have been demolished for landscaping of the komodo garden...

 

thanks for that, I should of known that!

 

You are right Jimmy, the old bird house (now closed) is the range of aviaries adjoining Islands in Danger and the round aviaries were two sets of flights for small parrots. One was demolished and the site is now a garden, the other is still in use. The zoo's original parrot house was here. The rare parrot breeding centre is Chester's third parrot house.

 

Chester's visitor numbers seem to be buoyant this year despite all the economic doom and gloom so I would guess there's still a good chance of both the aquarium re-build and RORA phase 2 going ahead next year.

 

I'm actually rather surprised they are building a 'phase 2' of RORA. The first building is pretty enormous. I think this 2nd phase if it happens- even if not as large as the first phase, will potentially make it one of the very largest Orangutan exhibits anywhere, both in size and holding capacity.

 

Just thought I'd post this...

I've found what must be a preliminary concept for the completed RORA whilst browsing through the Chester planning permissions a while ago.

http://www.ukplanning.com/chester/d...plication/pdf&location=VOLUME1&thumbnail=true

 

Am not surprised they are going to build the additional phase, it is improving the quality that the orangutans live in, because the bornean orangs have to use the old house.

Where as the aquarium is adequate for its occupants, but is not great when viewed from the visitors. Chester has its priorities right I believe in this case. Plus although they built it in phase they did so because of finding temporary homes for the orangutans would be differ cult, plus am sure they have made sure they had the money for the whole enclosure but just couldn't be built that way.

 

When I went last autumn, there seemed to be adequate space for the existing orangs of both species. There are already the two huge outdoor enclosures(the Sumatrans seemed to have access to both) while the Borneans were using the other part of the RORA indoor areas- though I could see that their dens were still in the old building. I wonder if Phase two will simply give them modern indoor areas, or will it be on the scale of Phase 1 with more outdoor enclosures too?

If the Sumatrans are to permanently have both the existing outdoor enclosures that means they must plan to have two groups, at least doubling what they have now? In that case I wonder if Phase 2 will match it for a similar number of Borneans.

How many orangs is the whole thing(1&2) being designed for?

 

Phase two will create similar 3 indoor enclosures that the sumatrans have at the moment, with an additional outdoor enclosure.

I believe the total number planned to be held was around 15, Someone mentioned it here but please could someone either confirm or correct me.

They rotate the indoor enclosure alot because of the destructive nature of the orangutans, so I doubt they would house more than one group of each species, just serval females and offspring and a breeding male.

 

Okay so a 'group' of one adult male, two/three females and their offspring for each species(say 7+) three outdoor enclosures between the two species.

I think even with rotation,the animals will continue to wreck the plantings in the indoor areas which they used more, and will continue doing so.. the less used outdoor areas are very well established already.

 

As long as chester are happy with them paying out for more foliage it makes great enrichment for the orangutans. Hopefully the outdor area are now established enough that they should last.

The second phase will create 3 more indoor enclosures like that on the sumartran side and their plenty of opportunities to rotate the orangutans and give them a slighty different environment by planting different plants.