Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Discussion, Speculation & Questions 2018

What about the elephants, do they have a team of their own? On Secret Life... they seem to have their own keepers who don't appear with any other species, though I appreciate that isn't the best indicator!

Whilst we're on the subject of the staff teams, am I correct that the Asian Short Clawed Otters are looked after by the giraffe team - and if so, does anyone know why? It just seems really illogical to me!

 

The Giraffe keepers look after the Babirusa's that share the Small Clawed Otter enclosure. So they care for both species

Yes, the Elephants have their own keeper team

 

just a guess, but I think bird teams are

Tropical Realm
Penguins and Parrots
Owls and Dragons in Danger
Waterfowl

 

Very nice.

 

Sounds like there could be a LOT of teams then! I suspect this question may never be answered 100%. I'd imagine that the previously mentioned lower vertebrates and invertebrates team must be split up into a few smaller sections as well, surely?

 

Spent a day with the elephant keeps a few years back, they have there own staff room and spend all day in or around the elephant house or paddock.

 

Visited the zoo for the first time on 29/5, unfortunately did not have time to see everything but did make a beeline for the giraffes. Seemed to count ten individuals outside (rather difficult when they are all crowded around the feeding pole) however upon entering the house found only nine names on the wall; Tula, Orla, Dagmar, Meru, Millie, Zahra, Murchison, Narus and Sanyu.
There was one name plaque that had been covered by a giraffe print and given that Kidepo was moved to France in 2017, I can only assume this represented Kanzi. Is she no longer at Chester? I believe her sire was Thorn which would have made her a prime candidate to breed with Meru which leads me to believe that she would not have been moved to another collection. She did appear on SLOTZ when Kidepo was moved and I have not been able to find any information about a transfer/death. Can anyone help me with this? Thanks in advance.

 

Kanzi is still at Chester. She's never had a name plaque since they re-did the current board. Not sure why.

 

Wasn't one of the large mammal teams known as "Whipsnade" for some arcane historical reason?

 

Yes back in the 1960s, I can't remember which species were involved.

 

Regarding the giraffes I believe the only one who cannot breed with Meru would be Zarha (Meru x Aoifie)

 

Wasn't 'Whipsnade' the name for the area between the old original entrance and the lions, in other words the area where the agoutis, pademelons, Pallas cats, muntjac, bush dogs and red pandas are now held? In the old days the mammals there would have included sun bears, kangaroos, cheetahs, arctic fox(es?), gibbons (in the old Nissen Hut cage) and more. I presume it was called 'Whipsnade' because the mix of species was rather like the mix of species in the area near the entrance of Whipsnade at that time, and most of the enclosures were pretty basic with wire mesh fences and wooden sheds in both cases.

 

I think that was it Gentle Lemur

 

Whipsnade Section was the old zoo pre 1950, the name remained until wholesale reorganisation in 2002. So named because the section began in the same year as Whipsnade, Bedfordshire and housed the same ABC Zoo animals. Bears, sealions, deer, tigers, lions etc

 

Just a quick query to pick peoples brains! I noticed something a bit odd when I visited last week (29/06). I made a beeline for the black rhinos as I always do upon entrance and popped unto Tsavo (to escape the unbearable heat) and I noticed that one of the females either Zuri or Kitani had no calf with her, inside or outside on exhibit. She was in the left half of the public viewing area with access to the paddock parallel to the Painted Dogs.
Just wondering if anyone knew why this might be as I'm sure the young are still too dependent on their mothers to be moved on?
Thanks in advance!

 

They move the Rhino's around the various paddocks and houses as and when needed. So it's quite possible it wasn't Kitani (who was in that side until recently) that you saw at all. Have you got a photo of the individual Rhino?

 

I assume it was Emma ( I believe that’s her name) as when I visited it was Emma on the left and kitani and hazina on the right. Zuri was with ike in the far enclosure with the old rhino house next to the warthogs.

 

Maybe we should have an animals rarely seen at Chester thread

 

H

Has anyone ever actually seen the Sand Lizards at Chester (Near the Jaguars and Lemur). I don't mean if you've had a behind the scenes tour, or a VIP day or friends work there and you've got close up or anything, I mean during a normal visit. I much have spent hours outside that exhibit wanting to see one, camera at ready but nope not a thing. I swear it's just an empty grassy sandy enclosure lol.

 

I have seen them many times, you must just be unlucky.