Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Spring 2015

The last I heard (November), was it is doing well.

 

I will be very disappointed if you are not 100% correct about the Monsoon Forest
I think a temperate house makes much less sense in Cheshire than in central Europe. The old Temperate Bird House, on the site of Islands in Danger, always seemed fairly redundant to me. I can see a point in a desert house, but what could you put in it? The TH site would be too small for large mammals and large reptiles would need a lot of heat, although I'd love to see perentie. Birds would probably be easier, a flock of sand grouse with some weavers and starlings would work for an African or Asian setting and I'm sure other combinations could easily be found for other geographical scenarios. But even that would need a new roof and probably other work too. In the end, as you say, the state of the structure will be a very important factor.

Alan

 

Given the presence of the tuataras and chester's current dissapointing lack of marsupials, I think some sort of Australia/Oceania house would be a great idea for the tropical realm.

 

Unfortunately that will never happen, they do not undertake any conservation work in Australia.

 

Originally Posted by bongorob
No, the ramp zig-zagged and the entrance to the nocturnal section was roughly above where the door to the capuchin enclosire is.

If you look carefuly you can see a steel plate covering it. As a child I often went in there while parents had a coffee! Mother came in to get me 2 hours or so later. To hold a childs attention for that time, it had to be good. There was only one entrance and exit, with a cost of 2'6".
As you went up the ramp you could look down on Alligators. Before that there was a fish pond and waterfall (you can still see it). After that you looked down on Pigmy Hippos and then Nile crocs before entering the Nocturnal part. There were about 4-6 cages here and I can remember Genets and Slow Loris. You then came out on the upper walkway.
The galap tortoise enclosure used to have the Alligators in it, then Freshwater crocs and finally it was split for Dwarf crocs and Mata Mata. The Tuatara enclosure used to have the Dwarf crocs in and before that Thomistoma. I can slso remember Broad-nosed Caimen in one of the large vivs and a very large anaconda. There were about 36 reptile enclosures which are now closed off (sad). The smaller enclosures where the frogs are at present, was one very large viv.
The collection at that time consisted of mainly snakes (including about 12+ venomous Spp) and lizards. There were many Austrailian spp (Brown snakes, Olive python, Childrens python, Austrailian Water Dragon). Other snakes I can remember were:
Reticulated python, African python, Burmese python, Boa constrictor, cribo, Forest cobra, spitting cobra, Green mamba, copperhead, long-nosed viper, Rhino viper, Gaboon viper, Sunbeam snake, Mexican rattlesnake, Tropical rattlesnake, Puff adder, White-lipped viper, water monitor and many others.
Those days are long gone. I believe that because the interest has moved to chilonia and amphibians that is what you will mainly see from now on ( or small spp that can be mixed with them), with a few token large croc, snake or lizard spp.

 

I remember the rows of vivs in the tropical house. The back row had smaller vivs and the front which only closed in the last few years had the larger vivs. The lace monitors they had were stunning. I also remember he dwarf crocs and matamata turtles where the Galapagos tortoise are now.

 

Hi, am new to zoochat. Have had a look through last year's threads but can't see anything re the cheetah cubs. Can anyone tell me if they're still at Chester zoo?

 

as far as I know the cubs are still there, the male 'Bakari' was separated from KT and Safi and all 3 were in the back paddocks

 

Is the Komodo dragon, Flora, still at the zoo?

How many adult komodo's do the zoo have now?

 

Ah ok. I classed the two on display as adults as they are almost at adult size anyway. Didn't they have another sub adult/adult off show?

 

Nope they just have 1 female off-show and she isn't much bigger than the males that are on-show!

 

OK - slight confusion now Komodo Dragon wise, when I last spoke to a herp keeper in islands I think I was told the current holding is:

There is a young female currently off show that was at Chester before the on show 'pair' arrived. Idea is to pair with Jantan when both mature.
The 2 sub adults on show are 'brother & sister' Jantan & Ora that arrived together - admittedly on my last two visits there was only the male Jantan in the on show enclosure that I could see.
There are 3 juvenilles in the smaller enclosure opposite the main one.

Is this still correct?

 

That is correct they have a total of 6 of which 1 female is off-show the rest are all on-show!

 

Awesome.....cheers folks

 

Chester has reported the first European breeding of Cinnamon Frogs (Nyctixalus pictus) .


BBC News - Chester Zoo's breeding of cinnamon frogs is European 'first'

 

Going back through old gallery posts, i've just found a picture of a Javan Green Peafowl from 2008. I was unaware the zoo had kept this species recently, where abouts were they?

 

The 'magpie' aviary outside the Elephant House, most recently.

 

and previous to that, in the Rainbow Aviary.