It has been a long time since I have posted any questions on this site (except for one thing on a London zoo photo), but I was wondering if anyone could answer a couple of questions? Its been ages since I have been to my second favourite zoo, Colchester. I remember always being impressed with the Desert Life and Rainforest Life buildings near the old orang-utan enclosure (which has the sun bears in until there great looking new enclosure is finished). I was wondering do these two buildings still exist? I cant remember if they were there the last time I went! also was wondering about a couple of the old big cat enclosures. Am I right in thinking the snow leopard enclosure (which had fossa and giant anteaters I think at various points) is part of the new sun bear enclosure and the new leopard enclosure includes the site of the old jaguar enclosure? sorry for the long post! thanks!
yes the rain forest and dessert house are now gone. the dessert house is now the discovery center. and there is a rain forest walk through just outside that houses south american species. the snow leopards are gone from the zoo and is now the new sun bear enclosure. the lions live in lion rock and the former jag housing is now the male amr leopard enclosure. i would defo recommend a visit .
Couple of questions...... The Dessert House must have been amazing; jelly, trifle, apple pie, ice cream.....
Since i began visiting regularly again in 2001, the zoo has lost the following cats & other carnivores: Snow Leopard Jaguar Fishing cat Pallas cat Sand cat White Tiger Margay Maned Wolf Dhole Fossa Common Seal Striped hyena Asiatic black bear And gained : Amur Leopard Cheetah Sun Bear Smooth coated otter Amur Tiger- pure & not so The new species are great, but the net loss is not great and i hadn't realised how bad it was until recently!
its a shame both houses have gone, for some reason as a family we all remember the sand cats in the desert house! last time I was there was before the new orang enclosure, so I have seen the lion enclosure, I do like how close you can get to the animals. shame species such as the ocelots, fishing cats, fossa have gone, but i am looking forward to see how much it has changed. the first time i went, i just remember being completely taken in by the place, i was only young but i loved how around every corner there was something hiding away to be discovered. the first time i went i remember seeing a leopard, and i don't remember it being near the old babirusa enclosure as we had not done that part of the zoo yet. i do remember some work being done so maybe we went a different route or my memory fails me again!
The new species are great, but the net loss is not great and i hadn't realized how bad it was until recently![/QUOTE] I hadn't been though it is my local zoo for over 7 years and when i went last Friday I was amazed at all the species lost, i liked the manned wolf and Dhole as well as the sand cats and jag, they were always active when I went. I know the zoo is making great strides but the fossa's in Particular looked good alongside the lemurs, I did miss a chunk out due to time, but it had lost the old feel it once had, maybe I need to go more often. I still don't like the edge of Africa house it doesn't do anything for me inside. I hope the wildes of Asia house goes soon that has always smacked of an amature approach to displaying a multi species exhibit.
Despite my observation, it's still a great zoo, i'd rate it comfortably top 5 of the UK zoos i've visited.
To add to the list of lost carnivores: Yellow, banded and dwarf mongooses White-nosed coati Ocelot (not sure when these left- they were replaced by the margay) Iberian wolves
Personally I like the kingdom of the wild and edge of Africa areas but different things appeal to different people! the pallas cats were in the old binturong enclosure right? Am I right in thinking that they used to have blackbuck and axis deer near the old rhino house?
They had black buck at the bottom of the zoo a long from the tigers at one point with limited viewing through a gate. Yes the sand cats were in the desert house. They also had pancake tortoises in the same house If my memory is correct. I really should remember a pen and paper when I zoo visit, I'm such an amateur at it.
I think some brown-nosed coatis arrived to be used in the animal theatre a few years ago; that could have been what you saw.
really wish they had a guide book the first time I went, all they had was a map that is In very poor condition these days! think they may have had coatis in the old brown bear enclosure when I last went. I remember seeing a black bear right up against the glass, they seemed big enclosures when I was small, but the new sun bear enclosure looks awesome.
AW try ebay I sold all my old zoo guides on there a few years ago when money was tight, you may strike lucky for the dates you require. On the subject of the map, the new map for the 50th anniversary isn't as informative as the one for the 40th, sadly now very out of date, though it does highlight how the place has changed.
Lucky you, I visited six weeks (approximately) before you and it was off-show. I missed it by weeks! Damn you!
