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Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo News 2019

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Zooreviewsuk, 1 Jan 2019.

  1. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The blue duikers are mixed with blue cranes in a little enclosure opposite the mandrills, while the saki monkeys live in the Heart of the Amazon building near the sealions.

    On the map on the zoo's website, the duikers live in the enclosure labelled 'Crane' on the left-hand side while the sakis live in the section labelled 'Squirrel monkey' in the top right-hand corner of the map (I've included the map below):
    Zoo Map | Colchester Zoo
     
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  2. Jakub

    Jakub Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    @DesertRhino150
    Many thanks for your prompt reply. Really appreciate it very much.
    Jakub
     
  3. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Two grey crowned crane chicks hatched on 23rd June and are now being allowed out into their enclosure in Edge of Africa:
    Crowned crane welcomes 2 baby chicks! | Colchester Zoo

    Also, an update seems to have been added to the tiger cub news page since I last saw it - the cubs have reached two weeks in age and their eyes have now opened. The page says it will still be a few weeks before they are out in the main enclosure. A short video of the three cubs is included below:
    Endangered tiger cubs born! | Colchester Zoo
     
  4. Benobo88

    Benobo88 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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  5. Badgerman91

    Badgerman91 Well-Known Member

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    Quick question- does anyone know what the new extension of the Lion exhibit is for? In all my visits I’ve never seen any of the 3 lions in there and it also doesn’t appear they have free roam access to it either?
     
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  6. banham.tiger

    banham.tiger Well-Known Member

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    I think its just an additional area for them to have incase they ever have to split the lions up or have one separate for any reason. They do have access to it most of the time however I think the keepers shut the door overnight. I have seen the lions go inside there they look awesome!
     
  7. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    The three Amur tiger cubs have had their first health-check; the cubs are two males and a female. Now that the cubs are older, they are being allowed outdoors (into the smaller outdoor enclosure) and viewing is being allowed in the indoor area - the indoor area may be closed again if public presence is found to be disturbing the mother or cubs.

    As for naming the cubs, the keepers will pick a short-list of favourites which will then be chosen by zoo visitors donating money to the three names they like most. The three top names will be used. All the money donated will support an Amur tiger conservation project by Wildlife Vets International.

    More information included below:
    Tiger cubs begin to venture out of their den and their genders are revealed! | Colchester Zoo
     
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  8. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    A couple of other births have been announced at Colchester:

    - Two Humboldt penguins are being hand-reared, because they were losing weight under the care of their parents. Since the keepers started hand-rearing them, they have started to gain weight and are now growing through their feathers. The chicks are currently off-show but will be gradually introduced to one of the two penguin colonies.

    More information on the link below:
    Adorable penguin chicks hand-reared | Colchester Zoo

    - On 6th July a Kirk's dik-dik calf was born; it is now visible in the enclosure in Edge of Africa.

    More information on the link below:
    Cute tiny antelope calf born at Colchester Zoo! | Colchester Zoo
     
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  9. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Went for a brief morning visit to Colchester Zoo today, mainly so that the rest of my family could get their own membership cards. While I did not see the tiger cubs today, I did notice a couple of things of note:

    Species Arrivals, Departures and Movements
    - The middle terrarium in Kingdom of the Wild is now filled with water again and is occupied by the zoo's pair of West African mud turtles.
    - The new Lake Victoria aquarium by the pygmy hippos had some small cichlids already present (I wasn't certain on which species) and has also had signage added for a third new species, the African banded barb Enteromius fasciolatus.
     
  10. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Managed a visit this morning to Colchester Zoo; this is what I noticed:

    Species Arrivals, Departures and Movements
    - The L'Hoest's guenon and rock hyrax enclosure in Edge of Africa is currently empty and being developed somehow (saw someone trimming vegetation in there today); the guenons are currently in the patas monkey enclosure next to the lions and the hyrax are in the aardvark enclosure; the aardvarks are currently off-show
    - There are two African white-backed vultures now in the Vulture Valley aviary next to the Kingdom of the Wild paddock; I think they are probably the two birds previously used in the bird displays
    - An unsigned species of cichlid is now present in the West African mud turtle exhibit in Kingdom of the Wild
    - The Mexican red-kneed tarantula is no longer on-show in the Discovery Centre

    Births

    - Highlight of the day - today was the first day the new Amur tiger cubs have been allowed out into their outdoor enclosure and all three were busy exploring. Don't think I've ever seen the tiger enclosure so crowded before.

    Developments
    - There seems to be a new little display area built into the sea lion enclosure, with taller glass panes and a slightly expanded land area (the side of the enclosure closest to the Playa Patagonia café)
     
  11. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    There were hyrax in the original enclosure and the aardvark enclosure yesterday afternoon.
     
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  12. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    There's been photos of them outside from visitor on facebook a few days now ;) I wanted to go down myself but resisted as it would obviously be a very busy area.
    Have the red panda youngsters been out yet?
     
  13. DesertRhino150

    DesertRhino150 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    We were told by a member of staff standing by the enclosure that today was their first day allowed out - it seems they were mistaken.
    According to a sign near the entrance of the zoo, the red panda cubs have not been seen outside yet.
     
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  14. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    @DesertRhino150 I think they say it to make visitors feel they've had a more special experience ;)
     
  15. 4ways NAP

    4ways NAP Well-Known Member

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    found out some interesting news:-

    Elephants are all being mixed together to try and breed them, all three cows are mixed together at night and tembo will allowed out on to the cows paddock soon. tembo was seen few weeks ago mating with zola.

    The pygmy hippos are having a break from breeding due to the number of calves death but the outside area will be having an outdoor pool added once its rebuilt.

    Sun bears seem to think that they are bother and sister more than mates hence why no cubs so far.

    The mud turtle's enclosure will soon have some type of small lizard added to it

    Anteater's are having a rest from the breeding programe at the moment
     
  16. Elephantelephant

    Elephantelephant Well-Known Member

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    I hear Tembo should move to Beauval. Is it known when?
     
  17. 4ways NAP

    4ways NAP Well-Known Member

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    as far as I'm aware there is no plans to move any of the elephants the females are all around 35 and they plan to keep trying to breed them with Tembo now that he is back to full health after his tooth operation. Hence the reason why they are hoping to allow all 4 elephants access to both paddocks
     
  18. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Chances are very slim the Colchester female cows will ever between them produce another calf at age 35 without many if any prior known pregnancies.
     
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  19. 4ways NAP

    4ways NAP Well-Known Member

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    The Zoo have said the chances are still high with all 3 cows and Tembo hasn't been well enought to come in to musk but over the past few months he has been seen coming into musk and mounting one of the females, that why they are mixing him with the other cows. They have had 2 calves born there in the past but have had still borns from two of the cows in the past.
     
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  20. Embu

    Embu Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Fantastic news if there are any confirmed pregnancies, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I do feel a new bull would be good or move the females to a new home with a new bull but obviously this would just be an ideal situation