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Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion, Speculation & Questions 2018

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by JoeDK14, 2 Jan 2018.

  1. Swampy

    Swampy Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Some nice footage of Monsoon Forest & the Sunda gharials in the new BBC documentary, Attenborough and the Sea Dragon.
     
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  2. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    As mentioned in one of the other Chester threads, the TV show featured a young Porcupine that was born 'recently' and also more Small Clawed Otters (born "three weeks ago"). As far as I know, neither have been mentioned on the website or facebook.

    I visited today and saw the Painted Pups. I also learned that there is only the two adults there, as the other male died a short time ago; I didn't see any previous mention of this on the forum.
     
  3. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The new lion enclosure is being built north of the canal, right? Is this opposite the giraffe paddock or further along?
     
  4. Sneeuwpanter

    Sneeuwpanter Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Is the zoo planning a hotel in the nearby future ? I thought i read something about that some years ago.

    Is the zoo easy to reach from Liverpool with public transportation ? And how expensive is it (the public transportation) ?
     
  5. jde7582

    jde7582 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    There is the number 1 stagecoach bus that goes from liverpool to chester, and stops at the zoo
     
  6. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    There is also a direct train from Liverpool to Bache, on the outskirts of Chester, from which point you can either walk to the zoo (a very pleasant 25 minute stroll) or catch the bus from outside the railway station.
     
  7. Indlovu

    Indlovu Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    And the Stagecoach X8 bus runs between Chester Railway Station and the zoo. The most economical approach if you're travelling by rail is to buy a 'plusbus' ticket.
     
  8. SHAVINGTONZOO

    SHAVINGTONZOO Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Really? Any details?
     
  9. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    No, because PaleoMatt is getting somewhat ahead of himself :p there is no such enclosure being built at present.

    There *are* plans to build a new lion enclosure, as discussed in this post, but this will not take place until 2020.
     
  10. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    It’s £4 for a bus from Liverpool to the zoo, either the 1 or the X8 will take you from Sir Thomas Street in Liverpool City Centre right up to the zoo entrance. The X8 is a quicker journey as it makes less stops along the way, but the 1 literally stops absolutely everywhere on the journey.

    It’s £7.30 for a train ticket from Liverpool to either Bache or Chester if you travel at peak time (before 9:30am) and £5.10 you travel off peak. Then as TeaLovingDave says, it’s around a 25 minute walk from Bache staton to the zoo, or you can get the 1 bus from Bache station and the X8 bus from Chester station. The price for the bus is then less than £4 in this case as the journey is much shorter, I think they offer a day ticket for the local area for around £3 or so.

    I only passed my driving test in June last year and until I had a car I found it so frustrating that it would take me 25 minutes to drive door to door from my house to the zoo and yet it would take me the exact same amount of time just to walk from the train station! With a 48 minute train ride on top!
     
  11. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    That's what I meant. Sorry, I should have been more specific.
     
  12. SHAVINGTONZOO

    SHAVINGTONZOO Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The X8 takes 56 minutes, the 1 takes 84 minutes (generally ... traffic permitting ... etc)
    The X8 is usually a double decker so you would get better views - the 1 is always a single decker
    The £3 local Chester day ticket (now actually £3.40) only extends to Upton Heath - short of the zoo, so you'd need the £4 dayrider plus*. So it costs the same whether you travel from Liverpool, Bache or Chester!
    I've walked from Bache (and from the previous Upton station); both nice walks but this was when the zoo entrance was on Caughall Road. The new entrance is a longer walk, along the A41, past the Park & Ride and the full length of the Car Park! Is there even a pavement all the way?

    Overall, I'd recommend the X8.

    * There might be a cheaper single/return fare from Bache; not sure.
     
  13. bongorob

    bongorob Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Part of the pavement running alongside the car park near the rhinos has been blocked off by a sign telling people to use the park and ride. it's possible to walk up Flag Lane to the zoo, the pathway that bisects the zoo. Animals can sometimes be seen on this walk, but it is harder to see them now that a lot of the fences have been covered.
     
  14. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    You’re right, there is definitely a cheaper return fare available from Bache - it’s been a good while since I last had to take public transport to the zoo and hopefully I will never have to do it again, but back in the days when I did have to, I do remember the bus driver offering me a lower fare for this journey.
     
  15. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Unless things have changed recently there's a bus that goes straight from the (Chester) train station pretty much directly to the zoo and it's about 15 minutes long. Cost was £2 return when brought with your train ticket. Surely that's the quickest/easiest way for a foreign tourist?
     
  16. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    I don't know what is more confusing; the timeline of the series, or the different threads for Chester on the forum :|
     
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  17. SHAVINGTONZOO

    SHAVINGTONZOO Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Was the Sun Bear breeding reported anywhere?
     
  18. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    The old Upton Park and Ride bus service that used to depart every 12 minutes from outside Chester station is apparently no more (it changed around May time last year I think) - Chester Zoo’s website now recommends the X8 service (which it seems is still part of a similar deal - £23.90 + the cost of your train ticket, which includes your zoo admission and your return bus fare), which departs from the same place but is nowhere near as regular.
     
    Last edited: 16 Jan 2018
  19. bongorob

    bongorob Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Not as far as I know.
     
  20. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    Did they say anything more about the cub?

    Trust me to book a rare evening out at the theatre the one night of the year that my kids are on TV!
     
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