They can't fit all these species into the area of the Giraffe House and the Cattle House. I assume that the Tropical House site and the Chimp Island will be included and even then, I doubt if there will be room for all these creatures. These must be quite long term plans, because they will have to complete both the off-show holding complex and a new giraffe exhibit before they can do much work in this part of the zoo.
Forgot about the Hogs they are planned to be incorporated with the current habitat also scheduled to be demolished.
The plan I believe is to first create a grassland area over by the Black Rhinos and build a new Giraffe house there and then the Congo area will be built this is part of the 15 year plan and as you said I think this will be very close to the end of the 15 year plan.
I'm sure there will be. It's just that bird and lower vertebrate and invertebrate staff are harder to find than mammal staff. Hence the information we get is biased in favour of mammals. Heart of Africa was to have exhibited a lot of African birds,reptiles and fish. Slender-snouted crocodile was mentioned, but I doubt that they will get them now.
Excellent news earlier in the thread about the Blue Crowned Hanging Parrot, but I agree with the comments that the zoo really doesn't make enough of some very important news concerning non-ABC species. Its particularly baffling as they've featured plenty of unusual critters on Secret Life of the Zoo, and they seemed to be well received by viewers. Its not even as if parrots are a weird creature, I'd have thought they were pretty popular with the general public!
Notes from a visit on 5th March; My first ever visit to Chester zoo outside of the main summer period. So the zoo looked quite drab(as do most zoos in winter) by comparison to how I've usually seen it in summertime before. It was quieter too than I normally experience, which was a big plus (for me anyway). Downsides; Monsoon House was closed 'for maintenance' and several bird walkthrough aviaries/areas were closed as 'precautions against bird flu'. Yet the old Tropical House was open. Closure of Monsoon Forest House restricted seeing the Sumatran orangutans which was a disappointment, though a couple of them were outside. Upsides; I saw all the Spectacled Bears very well- the first time I've achieved that since they first had the original males some years ago now. I think the activity and tree-climbing of the cub keeps the mother and baby more active, while the male in the Spirit of the Jaguar outside was pacing continuously both times I visited there- I think he may not be at all settled in that enclosure, but it means he shows very well. General; The addition of the new Sun Bear/Binturong and Malayan Tapir exhibits in Islands since my last visit, help to give it a more completed feel than previously. The growing litter of Hunting Dog pups make a better 'pack' exhibit though I noticed the very plain brown adult has disappeared (died?) I failed to see the Indian Rhino this time, except very briefly/distant. A pity they have no indoor public viewing for them. The Brow antlered deer were confined at one end of the exhibit including a tiny fawn knee deep in mud. Some species were held indoors, presumably because of the aftermath of the cold weather e.g. Chimps and Flamingoes. The Situtunga and their heavily used paddock looked miserable. No shows included Roan and Bongo antelopes, perhaps due to waterlogged paddocks(?) the Banteng and (perhaps not unexpectedly,) the Malayan Tapirs. New Penguin exhibit is very nice -what you would expect from Chester really. I agree with comments on here about so few/no Parrots being on show. A few non-breeding or spare pairs in display aviaries would help emphasise the work of the offshow area too. Question; what is the development going on behind the Oakfield House area? ( Sorry if I have missed reference to this somewhere in the Chester threads) Likewise the new build at the entrance to Islands( this area being 'closed due to monsoon'- very clever...) has anyone found out what that will be yet?. I saw most everything else in the Zoo I think, in a visit lasting five hours- even went in the Aquarium- having visited since the early sixties that's a first ever for me !
Could be this? 16/02926/FUL | Demolition of modern store room and kitchen extension. New timber clad kitchen extension to north of building, new single storey garden room extension to south of property. Internal alterations to; create window openings from reception hall to morning room and drawing room, doorway from drawing room to hall way, bar opening from stair hall to drawing room, new WCs at ground floor, reordering of staff facilities at first floor, existing external bar and BBQ alterations to improve outbuildings. Repairs to external elevations, roof and chimneys. | Oakfield House Chester Zoo Caughall Road Upton Chester CH2 1LH
Now you know what you've been missing (although I admit that I hate visiting the Aquarium when the zoo is crowded).
The new build at the entrance to Islands is an enclosure for Sumatran Prevost's squirrels, currently to be seen at the elephant house.
Interesting, that frees up the old aviary again, it’d be nice to see derbyan parrots back on show if possible.
Yes, I remember now I did actually see a sign saying this, but thought the building work that was going on seemed on a much bigger scale than just for squirrels...
Yes, I saw explanations about that, but thought there were also signs saying' something is coming' as if there is new animal development around there also. May be not.
The building dates from 1952. Originally there was an admission fee, with a little booth beside the entrance door (which is now the exit). The layout of the exhibits was the shape of an E, you went around the 3 bays of tanks, from the entrance at the bottom to top of the shape, then turned left (beside the current entrance) and went round the top, side and base of the E, to the exit on the other side of the pay booth. The original tanks have gradually been replaced. I think that the majority of this work was done in the late '80s when the back section was closed off to provide more space for off-show holding and breeding. At the same time most of the on-show aquariums were replaced with larger tanks and updated equipment etc. There have been more changes since: the largest tanks at the ends of the bays were replaced last winter, I think one of one of them was the last of the original large tanks.
Thanks. There's just so much to see at Chester, particularly as a less frequent visitor from a long distance away, that I have never found the time to go in there before.
Don't forget. It also covers the Squirrel Trail Station, the Prevost's Market and ... The Sciurus Play Area!
It feels like Bernardo has been held in the Spirit of the Jaguar enclosure forever! I wonder when they plan to move him back, didn’t they originally say once the cub was ten months old? I did hear that the other adult dog had passed away, that may have been mentioned on here. I also heard that the Oakfield House area (the old stables part) was getting a complete revamp to add in some new shops and the like. Isn’t the new build at the front of islands going to hold tree kangaroos, pademelons and squirrels?
