Visited yesterday 04/06/2012 after rearranging work so I could go with my mother and some of her friends (disabled group) They really enjoyed the day but did point out a few little things that could be improved on (there words not mine). The new entrance set up was simply to slow yesterday with the large crowds arriving at the same time in fact it was that bad that some staff were actually having to hand write receipts out so people could go in. The Tropical house (I love this place) was well crowded but unfortunately there was a group of people young and old picking up young birds and having photographs taken with them, after approaching them I was told to go away (other language used) the down side to this was we couldn’t find any staff to tell. This wasn’t just me 4 other people also tried to find staff to complain but they were absent from the building. Did manage to find a member of staff by the Red River Hogs so I explained to them I they seemed very surprised there was no staff in the building, before anyone says they were probably in the back we tried all the doors even the ones that said private but no replies from behind any of the doors. The spirit of Jaguar was another crowded exhibit and one that once there are a few people in becomes nonaccessible to wheelchair users as the walk ways have been narrowed (must admit I enjoyed the exhibit but can see my mother’s point of view). We didn’t try to do the Realm of the Red Ape this was due to there being a large cue and one wheelchair user going up in the lift and coming straight back down saying there having a laugh up there (didn’t know what she meant but my mother decided she didn’t want to go up there). The zoo itself is a really great place for the disabled but it’s the little things that seem to have let the zoo down in mother’s eyes (she will be writing a full report of her visit and passing it on to the magazine she writes for). From my point of view I had a great time there and really enjoyed my day but after talking to the others in the group I am now beginning to look at collections from another point of view and have agreed to visit again though next time will be in a wheelchair just to see where they are coming from. I have also agreed to visit other zoos in a wheelchair just to get the perspective correct and will not be saying when I will be visiting so it will be a turn up and see assessment will be writing reviews of these visits on the forum. I really enjoyed watching the Two Toed Sloth's moving around a first for me and saw the Kirk's Dik, Diks for the first time this year both were out in the corner of the enclosure another first for me was the Chimpanzees out and about in the outdoor enclosure after seeing them in the area what a great enclosure it looked. Some of the birds I had seen in the past were a non show but I have put that down to breeding time of year, didn't manage to do the Aquarium but will do on my next visit no matter what, love the indoor area for the Giant Otters money well spent thier. The only let down for me was the non show of the Giant Anteaters I will see one some day I am sure FRom my point of view the zoo is moving forward and I do hope it long continues
Z Magazine has confirmed the arrival of two female Javan Banteng, Lesser Kudu, Red Duiker and a pair of Narrow-Striped Mongoose. However, it looks as though we will have wait a while before they're all on show.
Some like the Lesser Kudu can slightly be seen so theoretically there not actual 'off-show' however, most visitors don't seem to have a clue they are there, only Zoo fans and keepers Very interesting regarding the Narrow-Striped Mongoose, are they ex RSCC stock?
Personally I think it is odd that an able bodied person would want to visit a zoo in a wheelchair, however each to his own. Also where do you plan to get the wheelchair from,? as taking one of the ones that are available to hire from a zoo (if any) could mean you are depriving a needy person from its use. In addition, with regards to a write up you plan to do from the view of a wheelchair, surely a person who uses one daily would be in a far more appropriate and practised position to do this?
@Pootle I would use the old one my mother has and I want to do it just to get my mothers point of view as I found the whole idea being in a wheelchair a totally different perpesective it's not going to be demeaning to other wheelchair users. I did argue with my mother on the points of access to the indoor exhibits and then after a few more minutes of arguing another member of the group said well why don't you try it yourself next time you come here and see how you feel because until you are forced to sit in a wheelchair you don't realise how the things you take for granted change so I took them up on there challenge. EDIT - I would love someone on here who is wheelchair bound to write a review not just of Chester but other Collections as well as it would give others more information on the collections and to see if they are worth visiting for other wheelchair users. I have asked my mother to put for review on here before it goes to the magazine but she as said she will send one to the zoo first and see what thier reply is (if any). As i said in the original thread I do not think the zoo is that bad and as my mother put it "it was the little things that let the zoo down" Hope this as not upset anyone as it was not meant to anyway on the bright side off on holiday in anhour hope the weather changes speak to you all in 2 week. Kind Regards Adrian
14 Green-crested Lizards have arrived. They will hopefully be mixed with the Reticulated Pythons in RORA.
Also in the vein of conservation management. Bronchocela cristatella This lizard occurs throughout West Malaysia, and on the island of Borneo. In Singapore its range is in decline, possibly due to competition from the Changeable Lizard Calotes versicolor. Source: Nick Baker, Ecology Asia.
Well we are off up to Chester tomorrow. Something we will give a good work through is the Android App. I know it has been a topic of some debate on here. However, my wife and I are complete newbies when it comes to apps, as we have resisted for as long as possible. So we can give it a work through from that point of view. It took me four attempts to get the thing loaded. My fault not the phones. If any of you hear someone shouting explicit things towards a mobile in the next week whilst at the zoo, it'll probably be me. Looking forward to the many changes since we last visited back in July.
I contacted the Zoo about the app and the various errors and faults, to which they replied: "Hi Lee, Thanks for spotting those and for bringing them to our attention - it's really appreciated. We'd actually also picked up on them and are hoping to have an update pushed through as soon as poss. Many thanks again, CZ" I feel they may have rushed to have the app available for the Jubilee weekend and released it before it was really ready.
So they rushed the App, rushed the new web site. Not doing well on the customer experience front at the minute.
They certainly have been known to, maybe that's why Chester got 14 of the lizards I would expect that our two lovely reticulated pythons at the zoo are content with their diet provided by the zoo and hopefully can't be bothered to chase a lizard - but if I was a python and their were nice shiny new toys to play with in my enclosure, I'd blooming well play with them!!
Update on the Philippine cockatoos from the annual report: Unfortunately one of the three chicks was not reared, and then three of the adults including the breeding male died from an undiagnosed cause
Some points that I don't think have been mentioned: The green jay aviary now has a fine mesh front rather than glass, and a stand-off with a planted region between. It looks much better than the macaw aviary next door (which isn't the prettiest by any means). Work has started on the turtle breeding facility, which is to be located behind the aquarium. A tree has been removed and some foundations built. It'll be interesting to see if the old semi-circular lawn survives, I should imagine its days are numbered. The snowy owl (more recently tragopan) aviaries have been divided into flights that are parallel with the path. Two large wooden indoor areas (sheds) have been added at either end, and the trees removed between the two. Apparently after much wrangling, the current news is that they will be on-show once completed. The new lock [cough] garden has been completed and fenced-off to prevent those with a horticultural eye using it to commit suicide. The plants around Oakfield House have been replaced (carelessly) and a lot of the bedding planted around the flagpole, petunias especially, is already on its last legs. The state of the vegetable garden is laughable. Although a shadow of its former self, the memorial garden is at its best at the moment, just try not to look at the weeds. The netting on the corner aviary in RotRA is being replaced, the aviary won't be changed. There is a moorhen nesting on the Otter Fountain, it'll be turned off until the chicks have fledged.
The replacement of the glass at the curassow and jay aviary has been mentioned. It didn't look so good when covered in seeds off one of the trees. Luckily this will be a short lived problem. I've not tried photography yet, becaue I haven't seen the birds in there on my last two visits. I agree it does look nice. I was going to say I'd not noticed anything happening at the condor aviary until I re-read your post and realised you put corner not condor. Hope the former tragopan aviaries will be on show, Z magazine says they won't. However a bird keeper told me earlier this year that they will be on show.
I know this has been mentioned in the annual report thread but hidden away in there is the news that a single tuatara was bred, although it did not survive. This is the first time they have bred outside New Zealand. They have been kept at Chester for almost fifty years. The eggs take over a year to hatch so I'm hoping there may be further news at some point.
