Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion, Speculation & Questions 2018

Is that where the Congo buffalo are housed, or something else?

 

The stable block is the old area next to the lions, the Congo buffalo are in the cattle house, which has been scheduled to go for some time.

 

Oakfield House and the stable block are listed buildings. The brick stable block is the works yard behind the face-painting building, between the lion enclosure and the site of the former tiger enclosure.

 

It will be a pity if every 'stone-block' type building of the early Chester Zoo disappear over time altogether, though I suppose there will still be remnants in walls etc. Personally I don't much like the idea of it eventually all looking like Islands, but that's progress I suppose.

 

The walls will be few and far between, a large number have already been demolished (around the flamingos, around the old Przewalski horse paddock...). The stables in West Zoo will be going, for example the sitatunga stable will likely be removed when the paddocks are remodelled. They're not good buildings by today's standards, but are certainly distinct. I'll miss the sandstone too, it had a sense of permanence and made the zoo instantly recognisable.

 

Just uploaded the gallery with some of my images from my visit please feel free to comment good or bad.

 

Just a quick query, how many onagers are expecting 1 or 2? I’m sure secret life of the zoo mentioned it but I can’t remember how many are pregnant currently.

 

Anyone know what proportion of the current Chimpanzee group is pure West African(and the sex ratio too) ?

 

This is the last studbook: https://www.zoo.dk/files/stambog_chimpanser_zoo_2014.pdf

Of the 7.14 chimps listed there 6.10 are pure West African. But the studbook is a few years old, so there might have some mutations....

 

Currently there are 7:13 with 6:10 being PTV (these figures include the recent birth). The 2014 studbook is up to date for Chester apart from 1 death (Halpenny), 4 leaving for other zoos in the breeding program (Kan Kan, Whitney, Lizzie, Donna), the arrival of Vila & this latest birth.

 

Does anybody know who the father is of the baby Chimp?
I would assume Dylan, with him being Alpha male, but according to the studbook (if I've read it correctly), Dylan and Zeezee share Boris as a Father, with a small chance that Dylan is actually Zeezee's Father.
Are the PTV numbers that dangerously low that it has resorted to inbreeding to raise captive numbers.

 

I think the only way to find out would be by DNA profiling. I don't know whether Chester already have DNA data for all their adult chimps, but I would not be surprised if they do, and they must have samples from the subspecies testing which could be used if they do not. They would also need a sample from the infant of course - and they might need to wait for an opportunity to get that. The problem would be simplified if any of the males have been vasectomised, but I do not know if this is the case.

 

I presume the one male that isn't pure has been vasectomised or otherwise rendered non- breeding. But all the others at Chester seem to be entire, unlike Edinburgh and Twycross where according to that Studbook, quite a high proportion of their males(particularly at Twycross) are neutered(castrated).

 

Looking at the studbook most of the last 20 years births have been shown as 25%. Which fits with the potential that the 4 older PTV males Boris, Wilson, Friday, Dylan could all be the father, however this birth could be complicated further with the fact Chester now have 6 PTV males. I spend a fair amount of time at Chester & most of that is spent observing the chimps. I’d guess that Dylan is the most likely father but I’ve seen all 4 of the youngest males (Friday, Dylan, Eric & Carlos) mating the females over the last year or so, particularly Carlos who I personally would think will be the new Alpha when he wants the job.

 

I think the % of chimps fathered by the alpha male was around 25% in the wild, so all options are open, non-alpha males are more sneaky for good reason

 

Just a quick one do any of you know where the following species of birds are in the collection or if they are off show please?

BLACK-BROWED BARBET
BLACK-NAPED MOUSEBIRD
BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
COLLARED TROGON
COMMON/ST HELENA WAXBILL
FIRE-TUFTED BARBET
LAVANDER WAXBILL
ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL
PASSERINI’S TANAGER
RED AVADAVAT
SCALY-BREASTED BULBUL
SILVER-EARED MESIA
SOUTH AFRICAN FIREFINCH
SPOTTED LAUGHING THRUSH
SUNDA LAUGHING THRUSH
WEST AFRICAN GREEN-BACKED TWIN SPOT
YELLOW CARDINAL
YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOP
ZEBRA WAXBILL

 

After seeing an ad for a Twilight Keeper at Chester, I wondered how the keeper sections are split across the zoo? Thanks!

 

I think that there are seven teams if I’m not wrong: lower vertebrates and invertebrates, birds, large mammals 1 (often called rhinos), large mammals 2 (often called giraffes), small mammals (often called twilight), primates and carnivores.

 

Six of those are onshow to my knowledge.

 

BLACK-BROWED BARBET on show
BLACK-NAPED MOUSEBIRD - they are blue-naped mousebirds.
BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
COLLARED TROGON on show
COMMON/ST HELENA WAXBILL
FIRE-TUFTED BARBET on show
LAVANDER WAXBILL
ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL
PASSERINI’S TANAGER on show
RED AVADAVAT
SCALY-BREASTED BULBUL on show
SILVER-EARED MESIA
SOUTH AFRICAN FIREFINCH
SPOTTED LAUGHING THRUSH on show
SUNDA LAUGHING THRUSH
WEST AFRICAN GREEN-BACKED TWIN SPOT
YELLOW CARDINAL on show
YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOP
ZEBRA WAXBILL

I think that was the situation on my last visit on 13th June, incidentally the 84th anniversary of the founding of the Society.

Pink Pigeons now in Tropical house.