Chester Zoo Chester Zoo Visit 27th+28th

Im just going to do a quick review of whats new in the zoo on my visit yesterday and today! I am going to upload some photos but the lighting was fun!!!

First of all the Frost Fair was nearly done. Went into the indoor elephants and saw the tree shrew, it was moving alot so only got a few good shots. We went through Monkey Island they were doing work in the primate enclosure, 1 guy and alot of onlookers, guessing doing drainwork. They have done the Sulwasie Macaques and they were using them as seats! I than went up past Indian and there is a fence stopping the animals in the indian rhino paddock getting to the main part, guessing due to mud. Went past the tapirs and no sign on the baby capybara! Is it hiding from me??

The Franka was out and milling around! Went round to the sititunga paddock and the light was terrible to shoot it, by the time i had sorted it out the sititungas had moved!!!! grrr, so I went round to the dik-diks got some good photos until one ran off into the shade and got some GREAT shots! We spent a good 5-10 minutes at the wetland avairy, the light was also fun there. The African Crowned Crane chick was huge! gaining the crown. Went round to Tsavo 1 and spent a good 5 mins trying to get the shutter speed right in there...got 2 or 3 good shots, Asani had grown alot.

We went round to see the meerkat enclosure, they are back onshow in their inside house with a new termite mound, and they are doing work on the outside enclosure. It was a piling of dirty sand and the odd builder's tool, so not much progress. We than went to have food!!!! (best part of the day- hehe not rly!!)

We than took a walk down to the giraffes and the light annoyed me again!! and Bella kept coming too close for my big lens -.- and we went round to see if the pudus were out...they weren't...we popped into Tropical Realm, and the worked look nearly done! just the gardeners needed to take a trip in, after that took a walk to Island in Danger, the larger Komodo Dragon enclosure is being turned into a Carribean Iguana exhibit. All the avaries and the children zoo (execpt the marmots who were being caught up) has been demolised. And the tiger storage place looked done, and the tigeress was being good and siting still watching Asha!! So got some good close up shots.

We went to look at the servals and they were very active, the bush dogs were asleep...and than we had to go coz the zoo was about to close!!!

On the second day we visited the okapi first, and they have a Gambian Pouched Rat with the acaia rats. went back in the tropical realm, they have opened a path which goes past the construction. I have finally seen the Philippine crocodiles in the water!! And there is atleast 2 chicks in the Writhed Hornbill enclosure! I went into jags and saw pelee (correct spelling) but my camera misted up!!! grrr!!! and got good pictures of the ones in the savannah part. I went into RoRA after that and took more photos of the reptiles than the orangutans ^^

I than took a walk to the owls and all 3 of the tawny frogmouths were sitting in a row and looking in different directions, looked quite funny. Nothing happening with the otters atm, and the red pandas were sleeping and one woke up and looked confused. Than went round down passed the servals got a good set of photos of these, than went to speccies across the bridge, but then the male warty piggie was being a gardener's worst nightmare! I had to watch, carried on watch the speccies again. And than went home.!

Great day out, some good photos and some bad!!

EK

 

Will the marmot mania exhibit be demolished too?
It would seem a strange thing to do, it is after all a fairly recent exhibit, and i am sure it is popular with the young visitors.

 

Can somebody divulge what will happen with this change-over from Komodos to Carribean iguanas? Are they acquiring more Cyclura species or is it Ctenosaura?

Personally, would like to see EU zoos go with a second Cyclura and more endangered species (Cayman blue or Jamaican, possibly even Little Caymans or Andros Islands) !!!!!

 

I believe at the moment it is to house the species of Iguanas that the zoo currently keeps,but in the future who knows!

 

Using the macaques as seats??? My God, the depths of depravity some people will sink to!

 

I was told that the Spiny-tailed, Rhinoceros and Lesser Antillean are being moved to Islands in Danger. It may have changed now, this information was given to me in June.

 

Is the young elephant bull Tunga still running with the herd? I`ve seen some pics on Flickr that made it look as if he was seperated in the bull pen.

 

Thanks for that.

Which quickly sets me on to the next question. What is the plan on the Komodos (with one exhibit now vacated for an admittedly welcome move into showcasing the Carribean collection)?

 

I don't have this officially and only information is what I have observed but he has been kept seperate for some time now. He is either in the bull pen or in the main paddock and Upali in which ever Tunga was not in.

However yesterday they were both in the main paddock enjoying a play fight. Which brings me to raise this question the herd are rarely seen outdoors since the onset of winter, does anyone know why?

 

On my visit last week I overheard two people talking about a delivery of sand for the elephant paddock due on Monday (30th). Perhaps it is something to do with this, to avoid damage to the ground until the new sand is in place. They were out when I was in the zoo though, so maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick.

 

Were both Tigers out and is the viewing window for the house still boarded up?

 

Both tigers were out on Sat, and the window was not boarded up.

 

I have a photo, it will soon be going onto the gallery but ill add it here for a sneak preview!!

And they have taped feather dusters to the horses on the carousel!!

 

Does anybody know whats happening with the area that is currently the childrens farm after it is demolished?

 

I thought the childrens farm went ages ago and now they have marmots and porcupines there?

 

I thought the childrerns farm went ages ago and now there are marmots and porcupines.

 

Simple answer not alot for the moment,it will at some point in the future become phase 3 of Islands in Danger,if what I was told on Sunday is correct!

 

I wonder why they didn't wait to demolish the old enclosures until they were ready to build something in their place?

As someone else wrote, "not more grass"?

 

The plan for the Komodos is to breed from them,on sunday the male and female where together in the females enclosure,they will move back into the males enclosure when they have finished putting in the new door`s for getting the Komodos out of the building,then the females enclosure will be converted for the Iguanas.

 

I never knew it was as claver as them having a male bit and female bit. Clever!