Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Spring 2015

I know they are often one of the worst 'no-showers' being very secretive/nocturnal- at least in many exhibits. Is that why Chester won't be having them perhaps?

 

What does this leave London with? Have they also got some new blood in?

 

I haven't heard of any.

 

I don't know if this has been mentioned previously. When I visited on Sunday I noticed the Caribbean iguanas in islands in danger have been taken off show. Does anyone know the reason behind this? I thought it maybe in preparation for the three young komodo's moving but the tortoise and mountain chickens are still in the enclosure.

Also in the three visits I had over the Christmas period I notice the lions were rather active with the male attempting to mount the females on numerous occasions.

 

I think the male West Indian Iguana has left the zoo.

 

Attendance in 2014 :

1,432,867.

Wow!

 

The highest ever.

 

The Iguana has left the collection!At present that I know of nothing is planned to be added in here,so we will all have to live with the Asian Brown Tortoise,Mountain Chickens and the Hermit Crabs!

 

This may change when islands opens

 

Make a mess of the finances if it doesn't!

 

A few years back, well actually about 15-18 years back I have a memory of chester having bats in two indoor enclosures. I remember the bats in the nocturnal house but also a separate enclosure elsewhere in the zoo that was heavily planted and the bats were labelled as flying foxes. Looking back at Bongorob's list it appears these would have been the Rodriguez bats prior to the twilight zone being built, am I right with this memory or could this be a different collection that I am getting confused with?

 

Bats were kept in the old small mammal house, Rodrigues Fruit Bats in the long flight at the end, and Seba's bats in one of the enclosures along the right (When facing the rodrigues bats) hand side.

 

Was there not bats in the nocturnal house I'm sure there was?

Also the bats you mention in the small mammal house, was that illuminated during the day? If so this is the house I have memories of.

 

The small mammal house was next to the elephant enclosure (before it was extended). It was originally only for diurnal mammals, with indoor/outdoor exhibits; but then the rear third or so of the interior was screened off and kept under reversed lighting. The bats were kept there.
The previous nocturnal display was on the upper floor of what is now the Tropical Realm, over the pygmy hippos and the alligators, before the rest of the building was constructed (so few ZooChatters will remember it).

Alan

 

Yeah my memories coming back now. I would have been about 6-7 years old hence the patchy memory. Yeah I remember the screened bit now with the bats however I also distinctly remember a diurnal flight with 'flying fox' in it.

Yes I remember the upper tropical realm being nocturnal or part nocturnal as I remember tawny frogmouth being in there. I also thing the CCTV into the komodo's was up there before they went on show?

My distinct memories of the tropical house are the alligators back when the caiman pools are now, west african dwarf crocodiles where the Galapagos tortoises are now, matamata turtles were in these pools after the dwarf crocs. I can also remember being able to view the vivariums on the back corridor that links the caiman lizards to the parsons chameleon.

 

Is Tuan still at the zoo?

 

Fruit Bats of an unidentified species (possibly Pteropus poliocephalus) were kept in one of the outside enclosures in the small mammal house, but this was in the early 1970s.

Gentle Lemur is referring to the original nocturnal house (1956) which was not where the upper level aviaries are, but was above the area where the capuchins are kept. Part of the entrance ramp can be seen near the caecilian tank, and the exit was where the end aviary is on the upper level.

Are you getting confused with Ferruginous Pygmy Owls which used to be in the Tropical Realm, but on the ground floor? I can't remember frogmouths being kept in that building.

 

I think I'm getting confused due to having patchy memories because of being young. Yes it must have been the Pygmy owls I am getting confused with, this would have been the mid 90's.

Out of interest the ramp you mention visible near the caecilian tank, did this lead to the door in the Aztec style wall at the back of the caiman pools?

 

Yes, though by no means is he guaranteed to be onshow

 

I've seen him once by looking over the fence onto his island. I would no doubt have seen him many times in the old orang house though.